Chapter 13 #2
“Jesus fucking Christ!” A female voice shouted. “I thought you were a tough guy standing up for my honor and all you are is a coward.”
“Hi, Anita,” Ten said, almost sounding bored. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“You really are a piece of shit!” Anita said, materializing beside her husband. Anita was a few inches over five feet. Her hair was a brilliant auburn, while her green eyes sparkled with anger and what looked to Ronan like vengeance.
“Oh, my God, Anita.” Tom’s mouth hung open.
“You deserve to go to jail after rolling over so quickly on our plan. What the hell did I ever see in you?” She turned her attention from her husband and focused on Tennyson.
“Anita, why don’t you tell us what this is about, so we’re all on the same page.” Ten’s voice was calm.
“The reason I came to West Side Magick was to find the daughter I gave up for adoption. I wanted to keep the baby, but my mother wouldn’t allow a bastard in her home.
I was able to hold my child for an hour before the adoption people came and took her away.
I regretted my choice every hour of every day since. ”
“I felt that loud and clear from you during our session. I can feel that now.” Ten paused and when Anita didn’t challenge him, he continued.
“You wanted me to find your daughter and I was unable to do that. All of us were. It was our suggestion for you to use a genealogy website to find her and you did. I was so excited for you when you came in for your session after having found her. You wanted to know where she was and I couldn’t tell you because I didn’t know.
My gift isn’t all-knowing. Making it even harder to trace your daughter was the fact that she was still alive.
Again, I couldn’t have known how she would respond to you showing up on her doorstep. None of us could.”
“All I wanted was a moment with my child. To see how she’d grown up. To hold her and tell her I never wanted to give her up.” Unshed tears glittered in Anita’s eyes.
“How did you find her address?” Ten asked.
“Through the private detective and one of those White Pages websites. I paid a fee and two minutes later, I had my daughter’s address and phone number.” Anita shook her head. “I begged Tom to come with me, but he wouldn’t.”
“I didn’t think it was a good idea for you to barge in on her without warning,” Tom said, sounding sheepish.
“You refused to help me at all!” Anita raged.
“When I got to the house, I rang the doorbell and Amelia answered the door. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life with my green eyes.
I told her who I was and she slammed the door in my face.
I yelled through the door that my parents made me give her up.
That all I wanted was ten minutes of her time.
The front door flew open and my heart soared.
I thought she was going to let me in so we could talk, but instead, all my daughter did was throw her perfect childhood in my face.
She said she was glad I hadn’t raised her and was even more glad that I would never have a chance to meet my granddaughters.
I could hear them playing in the house. When I tried to peer around my daughter, she shoved me, telling me to leave or she’d call the cops. ” Tears slid down Anita’s cheeks.
Ronan felt like crying himself. He couldn’t help thinking of Lizbet. Of what would happen if her birth mother ever showed up on Jude and Cope’s doorstep. One look at Cope told Ronan he was thinking the exact same thing. “Anita, I’m so sorry.”
Anita shrugged. “I left the house and was crying uncontrollably and called Tom, who was so angry I’d gone to the house.
He didn’t want to talk to me and hung up.
I’d never been more angry and heartbroken in my life.
I hit the accelerator and drove away as fast as I could.
I never saw the bend in the road until it was too late.
I hit the tree and everything went black.
I’ve been with Tom ever since. I loved that old Cadillac and would sit in the passenger seat wherever he went.
That was how I figured out how to use static on the radio to speak to him. ”
“Why the letters?” Ten asked.
“I wanted you all to feel my hurt and betrayal. I came home with all four of you. I spent time in your houses with your spouses and children. Your daughter felt me there and offered to help me if she could. I didn’t let her.
Her voice sounded like my granddaughters’.
It hurt too much to let your child comfort me.
I reported what I’d learned to Tom who wrote the letters.
” Anita paused and turned her attention to Tom.
“I’m sorry I shouted at you and blamed you for my death.
My death was my fault. I have to go now, but I’d like to visit you on the radio, Tom, if that’s okay? ”
“You’re the love of my life, Anita. Of course it’s okay.” Tears streaked down Tom’s face. The love he still had for his wife was evident.
“Please don’t arrest my husband, Detective O’Mara. He’s a good man.”
“As long as Tom promises he won’t send anymore letters, I can let the charges slide.”
Tom’s eyes widened in obvious shock. “Cross my heart. I won’t write another letter.”
“Before I go, Tennyson. I need you to know that everything in those letters was a lie. Ronan didn’t break his sobriety.
That night in the bar with the younger man was part of a stakeout.
Cope, I know you didn’t push your husband down the stairs and I know the man you were seeing at night was a shrink.
As for you, Ronan, I’m sorry I made you think Ten was keeping things from you and I’m sorry most of all for calling your daughter that word. She is the sweetest child.”
Ronan nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help you in the future, please let me know.” Ten offered the spirit a genuine smile.
“Goodbye, my love.” Anita pressed a kiss to Tom’s cheek and vanished from sight.
Tom set his hand on his cheek as if he could still feel his wife’s touch. “I’m sorry for everything.” Without another word, Tom got up from his seat and left the room.
“Who wants cupcakes?” Greeley asked. “After listening to that story, I need something sweet.”
“I’ll come with you,” Fitz said.
“Me too,” Cope walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.
“Are you okay?” Ronan asked his husband. He could tell there was something on Ten’s mind.
“I will be.” Ten shook his head. “I’m gonna go grab a cupcake too.”
“Hold it right there!” Ronan got up and blocked the door by leaning against it. “Spill it, Ten.”
“Spill what?”
“Whatever it was that you didn’t tell Anita.” Ronan could read his husband like a book and knew there was something Ten had held back.
Ten sighed. “I can never get anything past you, can I?”
“Nope,” Ronan smirked. “What do you know?”
“Amelia or Christina called Anita today. She left a message on the voicemail. Tom will play it when he gets home. She wants to sit down and talk to her birth mother.”
“Jesus, that’s why you offered to help Anita if there was anything else she needed.”
“Exactly.” Ten walked into Ronan’s arms and held on tight. “I need a cupcake, maybe two and then a nap. Are you in?”
“Definitely in. Let’s go.” Ronan pulled away from the door and opened it, ushering Ten back into the office.
Listening to Anita’s story made Ronan realize how precious and short life was. He hated the way Tom left Anita to go it on her own. Hated even more that he lashed out at Ten and the other psychics when it was obvious that Tom blamed himself for his wife’s deadly accident.
Ronan’s first order of business after they ate cupcakes was to get home in time to take the kids off the school bus.
Then he’d take his family and friends to the bowling alley where they could spend the evening together hanging out and having fun.
If Ronan happened to bowl the pants off Jude, Fitz, and Greeley, so much the better.