4

Chapter Four: Not Nara

They had a lovely home on a block of homes that looked almost the same. It was definitely the suburbs, if she understood the definition of the word correctly. She followed them into the kitchen when they entered from the garage, and it was sparkling clean. It looked like a house, but felt nothing like her home. “Did you ever bring me home at all?”

“No, Campbell stole you before we could. You were due to be discharged the next day.” Jim said the words angrily.

North tried to ignore his outburst, reminding herself he was still processing everything too. And she’d inadvertently given him hope by referring to herself as their missing child, which had been a mistake.

“Let me show you to a guestroom,” said Carol.

North nodded, anxious to have some time alone to sort out things and perhaps find some semblance of order again. She followed Jim and Carol up the stairs, admiring the house as she went. Every room she saw was meticulously decorated and cleaned to a spotless state, but felt cold and unwelcoming.

Carol hesitated for a moment before stopping outside a door that North assumed was the guestroom. Jim shook his head, but Carol seemed to be pointedly ignoring him as she opened the door. “You have to see this.”

North followed her hesitantly inside the room, coming to a standstill when she realized they’d entered a nursery. It was full of pinks, creams, and touches of silver here and there. The theme appeared to be circus animals, and there was a gigantic mural on the wall, though it was a strange one. There was a carousel, but the creatures featured were different from the usual horses and unicorns.

There were dragons, wolves, a beautiful ice sculpture-looking creature, and even a glimpse of something long, sleek, and black. Flames appeared to emanate from its eyes. She shivered at the sight, wondering what they had been thinking when they had chosen such creatures to decorate their carousel. It would’ve been enough to give the tiny infant destined to sleep there nightmares.

“This was your room,” said Carol.

“We were so excited. Everything was set for you to come home.”

Carol picked up her husband’s narrative. “When we realized you were taken, we couldn’t bring ourselves to dismantle this room. At first, we were certain we’d get you back, but as the months and then years passed, it was all we had of you.”

North nodded, feeling choked up. However, it wasn’t from the obvious emotional sentiment that the Allises attributed to the room. To her, it was more like a tomb than a shrine, though she couldn’t explain why the whole thing felt ominous to her. It was a room she wanted to escape from as quickly as possible, and not just because the eyes of the carousel creatures seemed to be following her wherever she moved. “I think I’d like to rest now.”

“Of course,” said Carol with only a tiny bit of visible disappointment. “You can have the guestroom across the hall. This room isn’t suitable for you to sleep in, and maybe it would be cathartic now to redo it. I’ll have you pick your favorites, though I hope you won’t mind if I help you decorate. It’s something we can do together.”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Carol. We probably won’t have her that long.”

Carol’s expression altered for a moment, going unreadable, and then it was resigned. “You’re right as always, dear.” She flashed a bright smile at North, though it wasn’t very convincing. “Let’s get you settled in for the night, dear.”

North breathed a sigh of relief when they crossed the threshold from the nursery, and then prepared herself for something equally horrifying in the guestroom. Instead, it was a straightforward design, with white linens and blond furniture. There was an en suite bathroom, so she wouldn’t even have to leave the suite for the rest of the night.

Carol and Jim lingered by the doorway for a moment, looking expectant. “Can we get you anything else?” Carol seemed poised to dart out of the room to fulfill any request, no matter how exorbitant.

“You must be hungry, Nara,” said Jim.

Once again, North flinched at the name, but didn’t call him on it. She wasn’t up for another argument or round of emotional revelations that evening. “No, I’m fine. I couldn’t eat right now. I’m too overwrought, and with my father…Sam’s death, I have a lot to figure out.”

Her heart clenched when she used Sam’s name instead of calling him her father, but she was trying to be sensitive to Jim’s emotions too. She was in no state to cater to everyone else at the moment though, so it was a relief when they finally left her with a brief good night a few minutes later.

North stood in the room for a moment and couldn’t explain why, but she crossed the room to lock the door behind them. It was a sensible precaution, since she didn’t know the Allises, and she still had no real proof she was their daughter.

Once the door was locked, she could relax more, and she did so as she went into the bathroom. A long, hot shower didn’t help clear her thoughts, but it left her feeling physically refreshed.

Carol Allis must be the perfect hostess, because she had thought of everything. There was even a drawer of pajamas with tags still attached, and she borrowed a pair. Good manners suggested she should ask permission first, but she didn’t want to face them again that night. There were still too many things to sort through, and she had to try to figure out what was truth and what was a lie.

It pained her to have to go through such an ordeal on the same night her father had died, especially since he seemed to be at the heart of the deception. She genuinely believed he was the man he had portrayed himself to be, but there was another element to him, and she couldn’t fathom it. What kind of man could steal someone else’s child from the hospital just days after birth? Sam had raised her as his own, and he’d been a fiercely devoted and loving father, but how could she reconcile what she knew of him with what she was learning? How could he be the same person?

She clung to the hope that maybe she wasn’t Nara Allis. Just because the pieces fit neatly didn’t mean she was part of their puzzle. Tomorrow, she would have to insist on seeing proof, and then she could figure out what to do from there.

***

North woke to the turning of a key in the lock, and it sent a dart of dread through her. She had thought this was a private sanctuary, but it was obvious the Allises weren’t going to abide by such things as locked doors to keep them out. She wanted to cut them some slack, and perhaps she’d find a way to do so if she learned for certain she was their daughter, but it was an intrusion she didn’t appreciate.

Carol appeared completely oblivious as she bustled inside bearing a tray. “Good morning, dear. I’d love to let you sleep in, but I managed to get us an appointment with Dr. Douglas. He’s fitting us in.”

North frowned at the tray before her as Carol laid it across her lap, though she could find no fault with the croissant, selection of jams, and what appeared to be a small pot of either tea or espresso. “Who’s Dr. Douglas?”

“He’s a family friend, and he’ll be able to run tests to verify that you’re our daughter. I already know you are in my heart, but I suppose we must be sure with science, mustn’t we?” As she spoke, she casually pushed North’s hair back from her face. “You look so much like my mother, Nara. I’ve often wondered who you would favor. Your eyes are just lovely.”

“They’re weird,” said North a bit sourly. “It’s weird to have two different-colored eyes.”

“It’s distinctive, and just beautiful.”

“That sounds like something a mother would say.” North realized she’d made a mistake as soon as she said it, because it suggested Carol was her mother. She wasn’t ready to even entertain the possibility yet. “What time is the appointment?”

“We have an hour to get there, Nara.”

“North,” she said firmly as she reached for the croissant to cut it with a knife. She looked up to meet Carol’s gaze. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I’m not Nara. And if I am, it’s not a name I’m familiar with, and it doesn’t feel like me. Please call me North.”

Carol looked angry for a moment, and then she just looked sad. Finally, she sighed and nodded tightly. “Very well, North.” It sounded like the word was wrung from her under torture. “I’ll leave you to finish your breakfast and get dressed. I washed your clothes this morning earlier, so they’re waiting for you in the chair.” She nodded in the direction where she had left them and headed to the door.

North felt bad for having hurt her, so she called out, “Thank you for breakfast, Carol.”

Carol paused, straightened her shoulders, and then turned to her with a smile. “Of course, dear. I have a great many years for which to make up, don’t I?”

North didn’t respond other than with a small smile as she bit into the croissant, using the need to chew to hide from the need to answer.

After finishing breakfast, she quickly prepared for the day, sliding on her own clothes, which felt comfortable and secure—though she was nonplussed to realize Carol had slipped into her room sometime while she slept in order to retrieve the clothes for washing, had returned, and then locked the door behind her again. It seemed unnecessary, and she wondered why Carol had bothered to lock it once more.

Perhaps she was just trying to make North feel at ease and had recognized the locked door did just that. Either way, it didn’t sit well with her that the other woman had felt free to slip into the room she was using, even if it was to perform a kindness like wash her clothes or bring her breakfast.