The Fifth Pillar

Chapter 8: A Name from the Past

It was so quiet in the cafe after the man left that it was deafening. Cecil stood still behind the counter, staring at Roland Wells. She didn't know him at all, but his quick and strong action had left her speechless. His intense look made her feel like he was taking away her defences and seeing all the pain she had worked so hard to hide.

"Who... who are you?" she finally managed to ask, her voice a thin, shaky whisper.

Roland's face softened a little, but the fierce look in his eyes stayed the same. He took a slow, purposeful step towards her, holding his hands up to show he wasn't a threat. "My name is Roland … Roland Wells”.

The name didn't sound familiar. The records at the orphanage were the only things she had ever known about her family. "I don't know you," she said, her voice stronger now and full of doubt. "You can't just walk in here and..." She stopped talking because she didn't know how to put into words the storm of feelings he had brought up.

He nodded, and a look of deep sadness crossed his face. "I know. I'm really sorry about that. Cecil, we've been looking for you for a long time. We didn't know you existed”.

When he said her name, her heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?" The old fears, the shame, and the feeling of being an outcast all came rushing back, making her feel small and defensive. Was this just another mean trick? Someone else who was trying to make money off of her pain?

Roland seemed to know she was unsure. He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, and Cecil flinched and stepped back without thinking. He saw and stopped. He moved slowly and carefully as he took out a thin leather wallet. He took out a clear picture and a business card from it and put them on the counter.

Roland Wells, CEO of Wells Industries, was on the business card.

But the picture kept her from leaving. It was an old, faded picture of a young woman with a kind smile who looked a lot like Roland. She had the same strong jaw and sharp eyes. There was a small, handwritten note on the back that had faded over time.

"This is our mum," Roland said in a low voice. "She was called Eleanor. Cecil, we have the same mother”. He stopped and looked at Cecil without blinking, then said something that changed everything for him. "You were born on October 14th in a small hospital in Vermont. The next day, you were put up for adoption, I and our brothers were raised by our Dad’s parents, we spent years searching for our mother, and did not even know that you existed”.

He hadn't said anything about the viral video, her past, or how she looked. He had just told her a truth she had never thought possible. The name, the date, everything was right. There was proof right there.

She was overwhelmed by a wave of dizzying feelings: shock, disbelief, a deep sadness for the years that had passed, and a weak, scary hope. She felt a single tear roll down her cheek, but this time it was a tear for what could have been and what might be about to start.