Caroline got a job as a cleaning lady in New York and went on her first assignment. It was a lovely house in Manhattan, but something surprised her. There was a photo of her mother in the office. Then a man stepped in.
“I’m going to do a great job,” Caroline prepared mentally for her first assignment. She and her companion Melissa went to New York a few days ago to pursue their ambitions of becoming Broadway stars.
However, they needed to obtain jobs first before renting an apartment together. Melissa was fortunate to find work at a clothes store, while Caroline found work at a home cleaning agency.
It was absolutely perfect. It didn’t take long, and she enjoyed cleaning since it helped her relax. Furthermore, if no one else was home, she could work on her singing voice.
Unfortunately, her mother’s visage appeared in her head before she walked into her first home. Her mother, Helen, did not want her to pursue such ridiculous fantasies, let alone live in New York.
Caroline was born and reared in Philadelphia, which was not very far away. She did not have a father, and her mother never mentioned him. Helen despised New York for unknown reasons. She had also shielded Caroline her entire childhood, which is why she had to flee.
When she and Melissa planned their relocation, she knew her mother would not let them. Caroline believed she might even feign an illness to entice her to stay. But Caroline had to fight for her dreams. It was her life. So she ran away when her mother was sleeping, leaving a short note on her dresser.
It had been many days since Helen had called her, which was unusual. Caroline assumed she was probably angry at her. Hopefully, she’ll get over it after Caroline makes her Broadway debut. It was time to focus on cleaning the house.
According to the agency’s director, an older guy lives alone in the house, so it was not exceptionally messy to begin with. Caroline wasted little time in starting to clean the kitchen, then the living room, and finally the bedroom after using the key under the mat as directed.
“I’m almost done, sir. But may I ask a question? Who is this woman?”
She hesitated a little at the entrance of a serious-looking office, but there were no rules against entering. She vowed not to touch the desk too much and resumed cleaning.
There was a lovely fireplace with a mantle on top, and big bookcases lined the opposite wall. Caroline has only seen workplace spaces like this in movies.
She cleaned as swiftly and thoroughly as she could, but she stopped at the mantelpiece. There were several photos on top, but one drew her eye. a picture of her mother’s face. She was at least 18 years younger, yet she was it. “Why is my mother in this man’s pictures?” she asked out loud.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps and an older man entered the office. “Oh hello there! You must be the new cleaning lady. I’m Richard Smith. I own this house,” the man introduced himself with a warm smile. “Are you done in here already?”
“I’m almost done, sir. But may I ask a question?” Caroline hesitated, hoping that the man wouldn’t be mad if she asked about the image. “Who is this woman?”
“Who?” he wondered, moving closer to her and putting on his glasses. “Ah yes. That’s Helen. She was the love of my life.”
Caroline’s senses started pinging. “What happened to her?” She couldn’t help but ask.
“She ᴅɪᴇᴅ during a bus crash. She was pregnant at the time too. I couldn’t even go to the ғᴜɴᴇʀᴀʟ because her mother hated me. It was cr:azy… I tried to move on and never did. To this day, I still love and miss her,” Richard responded, removing his glasses and moving towards his chair.
“Sir, I’m sorry to intrude like this, and thank you for telling me. But this woman… she looks so much like my mother. It’s insane,” Caroline revealed.
The older man frowned at her. “What do you mean?”
“Well, my mother, Helen, looks exactly like this woman. Obviously, she’s older now, but the resemblance is uncanny. I’m 98% sure this is her,” she continued, facing Richard but gesturing toward the photograph.
“Helen? Your mother’s name is Helen? Where did you grow up?”
“Philadelphia,” she answered, shrugging her shoulders. Her eyes widened as she realized that if that was Helen, this man could be her father.
Richard covered his mouth with his hands. “This is not possible…” he whispered. “Can I have your mother’s phone number?”
“Sure,” she said and gave it to him.
“Can you stay here while I call her?” he requested, and Caroline agreed.
He dialed directly from his office phone, and her mother’s voice answered after a few rings. “Hello? Is it you, Caroline?”
Richard gazed up at Caroline briefly before speaking out. “Is this Helen Geller?”
“Yes. Who am I speaking to?” Helen asked from the other end of the line.
“Helen, it’s Richard,” he continued, his voice starting to get emotional.
“Richard, who? Wait a minute. Richard Morris? What do you want after all these years?” Helen asked, her voice hardening for some reason.
Caroline and Richard exchanged confused looks, but he proceeded. “What do you mean after all these years? I thought you were ᴅᴇᴀᴅ!”
“What?”
Richard explained all he knew about the purported accident in which he lost his future wife and unborn child. He also stated how Helen’s mother refused to let him attend the funeral and refused to tell him what happened later. Helen had no idea what he was talking about, so she told him what she knew.
“My mother told me that you called and decided you wanted nothing to do with me. So I raised my daughter on my own,” Helen revealed, and Caroline was shocked by this turn of events.
“That’s not… Helen, I would never abandon you. I never moved on. I still thought of you every day. I mourned you. I’ve been in pain thinking about you and our kid for almost two decades,” Richard continued, but Helen was quiet.
“I can’t believe Mom would do this. But well, that was her way. I don’t know what do now,” Helen finally stated. “Wait. How did you find out I was still alive?”
“Mom, I’m here,” Caroline chimed in at last. She hurriedly explained what happened and reassured her mother that she was fine in New York.
“I can’t believe this is happening at all. I can’t even ask my mother why she would do something so cruel to us. She ᴅɪᴇᴅ years ago. But anyway, when are you coming back home, Caroline?” Helen asked, in a firmer voice toward her daughter.
“I’m not coming back until I make it on Broadway. And now, well… now I have another reason to stay here,” Caroline continued, looking at Richard with a tiny smile.
“Fine, but I’m coming up to New York soon,” Helen said and hung up. Richard and Caroline started at each other in silence for a few moments before either of them spoke up.
“So, I guess you’re my dad,” she chirped. He laughed, and that’s how they broke the ice.
