Riley's Rainy Day Discovery

 By Adeline S. 

“It’s been raining for the past three days. Isn’t it ever going to stop?” seventeen-year-old Andi Carter complained to no one in particular, as she sat in the parlor with her family one Saturday afternoon.

Her mother ignored the complaint and asked, “Why don’t you take Betsy and Hannah up to the attic to explore?”

Andi’s face brightened and she hurried across the room to where her nieces were watching her brothers, Chad and Mitch, play checkers. “Do you want to go explore the attic, girls?” she asked with a warm smile.

Betsy jumped up immediately and Hannah nodded eagerly.

Andi’s fiancé, Riley, looked up from the newspaper he was reading. “Can I come to?”

Andi nodded and glanced around the room. “Anyone else want to join us?” She caught her fifteen-year-old nephew’s eye. “Levi?”

He shook his head, so Andi turned and left the room with Riley and the girls following.

In the attic, Andi found two lamps right away. “Do you have any matches, Riley?”

He felt around in his pockets and handed her one. She carefully lit the lamps, then handed one to Riley, keeping the other one for herself. 

“Hannah, do you want to look around with Riley, or me?” Andi asked her younger niece.

“You!” Hannah answered.

“Alright.” She turned to Riley. “You and Betsy can look around on that side of the attic. Hannah and I will look around over here.”

He nodded and Betsy led him over to their area. 

Andi looked at Hannah. “Where do you want to start?”

Hannah chose a corner and began going through the things on the floor while Andi searched the shelves above her for something to interest them.

“Look Andi,” Hannah giggled a few minutes later.

Andi looked down at her and couldn’t help laughing. Hannah had found an old dress and hat and was trying them on. The hat kept slipping down over her eyes, and dress was way too big.

From across the room, Betsy giggled. “You look so funny, Hannah.”

Andi grinned and continued to explore. She was looking at some old paintings when Riley called, “Hey Andi, look what I found!”

She and Hannah hurried across the room to where Riley was kneeling. “What is it?” Hannah wondered.

Riley moved over so that Andi could see. “Are you talking about the trunk or the cradle?” Andi asked as she knelt beside him.

“The cradle,” he replied. “I don’t recognize the name on the side of it.”

Andi saw the handwritten name on the side of the painted cradle and said, “I don’t recognize it either.”

“What does it say?” Betsy’s tone was excited.

“It says, ‘William Charles Carter’,” Andi replied.

“Could it belong to one of your relatives?” Riley asked.

“Maybe Mother or Justin would know who it belongs to. But if the cradle belongs to one of my relatives, why is it my family’s attic?” Andi looked at Riley with a puzzled frown.

“I don’t know, Andi,” Riley shrugged.

“Well, I want to find out.” Andi turned and hurried downstairs to the parlor. At the door, she paused before hurrying into the room. “Mother, who is Willliam Carter?” The words burst out of Andi’s mouth before she could stop them.

“Slow down, Andrea. I couldn’t understand you,” her mother said, turning to look at Andi.

“Who is William Carter?” Andi repeated slowly.

“I don’t know anyone by that name,” Mother answered.

“Do you know what his full name is?” Aunt Rebecca wondered.

Andi looked at her aunt with startled eyes, but said, “William Charles Carter.”

“Oh my!” Aunt Rebecca gasped, her face turning white.

“Rebecca, are you alright?” Mother asked in concern.

“Yes, I’m fine. It is just that…” her voice trailed off.

“It’s just that what, Aunt Rebecca?” Andi pressed.

“It is just that I had a younger brother named William,” Aunt Rebecca replied.

The room suddenly was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone stared at Aunt Rebecca in astonishment.

Hannah broke the silence. “What happened to him?”

“Hannah!” Kate reprimanded her daughter sternly.

“He died of consumption when James and Benjamin were barely a month old. He was only a year younger than me. We were best friends. When he died, it hurt me terribly, but I managed to hide my grief by keeping busy taking care of the twins.”

When Aunt Rebecca stopped talking, Andi walked over to where she was sitting and gave her a tight hug. Aunt Rebecca was startled, but she hugged Andi back.

Riley had disappeared, but now he appeared in the doorway, carrying the painted cradle. “Was this your brother’s?” he asked, setting the cradle down in front of Aunt Rebecca.

“Yes, that was his,” she answered, her eyes glistening with tears. “I haven’t seen it since I gave it James years ago.”

“So that’s why it was in our attic,” Andi exclaimed.

“Yes. I gave James that, and I gave Benjamin some of William’s other things,” Aunt Rebecca said. “I’m glad that you found the cradle, Andrea. I think that it was good for me to tell you about William.”

“Oh, I didn’t find it, Riley did,” Andi answered.

“Well, thank you, young man.” Aunt Rebecca gave Riley a rare smile.

Riley started to answer, but was interrupted by Hannah, who was standing by the window. “It stopped raining! Can we go riding now?” 

Andi looked at Riley, who nodded. 

“Sure Hannah. I can saddle the horses while Andi gets ready,” Riley replied.

“I’m coming to!” Betsy and Levi said in unison.

“Alright. The more the merrier,” Andi agreed.