Chapter 8
Tennyson
Ten felt like he was going to throw up. He’d felt that way since the night before when Hope called agreeing to a meeting with Natalie.
When he’d called Natalie to relay the message, she’d screamed so loud that Ten had lost the hearing in his left ear for several seconds afterward.
They’d decided the best thing to do was meet at West Side Magick.
According to the clock in the room, both parties were due to arrive within the next three minutes.
“Do you want to sit for a bit and calm your ass down?” Ronan asked, on a snicker.
Ten had spent the last fifteen minutes pacing the conference room. Ronan, Jude, Fitz, and Everly sat at the table watching Ten slowly lose his mind. “I’m okay, just nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“It’s gonna be okay, Dad,” Everly said.
“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” Ten muttered.
“What, reuniting a long lost mother and daughter?” Ronan asked, looking as if he thought Ten had finally lost his marbles.
“No, that I allowed our seven-year-old to be here for the reunion.” Ten shook his head.
Everly had caught Ten during a weak moment.
Although, truth be told, he probably would have let her come anyway.
It was Saturday and he wasn’t getting any bad vibes about the meeting.
This wasn’t going to be some out of control episode of the Jerry Springer Show complete with flying chairs.
There were three police officers in the room. What could possibly go wrong?
Fitzgibbon’s phone chirped with an incoming message. He tapped the screen and frowned before shaking his head. “You’re not going to believe this. Remember a few weeks back when I mentioned Jace was looking for property in Salem for a food pantry and shelter?”
“Yeah,” Ronan said. He’d originally thought Jace was crazy to start another shelter.
People sometimes needed a helping hand and Ronan was all for that, but Jace running the shelter in Boston had nearly cost him his marriage.
At least this one would be closer to home.
Ronan didn’t have a good feeling about Jace’s latest plan.
“He toured a couple this morning and fell in love with one of them. He’s starting demolition on Monday.” Fitz shook his head.
“Uncle Jace wants volunteers to help run it, Daddy. So you don’t have to worry about Uncle Fitz divorcing Jace.” Everly offered Ronan a proud smile.
“Divorcing Jace?” Fitz sputtered. “I would never. What do you mean?”
“Take a breath, Fitz.” Jude patted his boss’s shoulder. “We all know how much of a toll Jace’s long hours at the Tremont Street Mission took on your marriage. Everly’s just letting us all know the same thing isn’t going to happen again, right honey?”
“Right, Uncle Jude. He’s gonna give the money and volunteers and church people will do the rest.” Everly’s nose wrinkled as she spoke.
Ten hoped whatever his daughter was about to say wasn’t going to rile Fitzgibbon up further.
“The priests aren’t gonna like Uncle Jace’s conditions. He wants the shelter to take care of LGBTQIA+ kids.” Everly giggled. “I can’t wait to volunteer there. I know Aurora and Woofie will want to help too.”
“You got that right,” Fitzgibbon agreed.
Tennyson went back to pacing the room. Talking about Jace’s next pet project was a good way to pass the time, but he needed to get his head back in the game.
Natalie would be here any second now. In the other two instances where the spirits Ten was looking to reunite with their families were still alive, his job ended there.
He was never part of the reunion. Maybe that’s why he was so nervous about Natalie and Hope meeting each other.
“Natalie’s here, Dad. You might want to pull yourself together.” Everly giggled at the shocked look on Ten’s face.
“I guess I am a little off-balance.” Ten took a deep breath and shook out his hands, as if that would help dispel some of his pent-up energy.
“Tennyson?” Natalie called, poking her head into the conference room.
“Hi, Natalie, come on in. We’re still waiting for Hope to arrive.” Ten ushered the obviously nervous woman into the room. She had dark circles under her eyes and Ten could feel anxiety radiating off her in waves.
“Oh, who’s this?” Natalie asked, her attention on Everly.
“I’m Everly O’Mara, Miss Natalie. I heard about your search for Amanda and asked my Dad if I could help.” Everly offered her hand to shake.
Natalie, looking charmed, took Everly’s hand. “Your Dad told me you saw that Amanda’s grave was empty. It was very brave of you to offer your help.”
“My Daddies are the bravest men I know. All they want to do is help people and I want to be just like them. That’s why I’m here today.”
“I’m so glad you are,” Natalie said, taking a seat across from Everly and Ronan.
Ten watched as Everly tapped Ronan’s shoulder and whispered into his ear.
He knew their daughter was telling Ronan that Hope had arrived.
“Excuse me.” Ten left the room and headed for the shop.
He got there just as two women walked into the store.
The younger of the two was dressed in jeans and a cornflower blue top.
She looked as if she were in her late thirties, but Ten knew Hope was in her mid-fifties.
The second woman, dressed in a smart pantsuit, looked to be in her seventies.
“You must be Hope,” Ten said, rushing to greet the younger of the two women.
“That’s right and this is my mother Monica Sayers. It’s nice to meet you at long last, Tennyson.” Hope held her hand out.
“It’s nice to meet you both as well. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re here.”
“Has Natalie arrived yet?” Monica asked, looking nervous.
“Yes, she’s here. Everyone understands that this is just a chance to meet each other.
There won’t be any yelling or accusations, but what each of you needs to understand is that Natalie was told you were dead, Hope.
She’s spent the last fifty-four years mourning your loss.
It was never her plan to give you up. I want nothing more than for you all to get to know each other, but my husband, Detective Ronan O’Mara and his cold case team are also interested in learning what you remember from that time, Monica.
How the adoption came to be and what you were told about Hope and her birth mother. ”
Monica nodded. “I understand. I’ll do whatever I can to help Natalie.”
“Please follow me.” As Ten led the women through the store and toward the conference room, he took a moment to read each of them.
Hope was nervous, while Monica was scared.
He couldn’t tell if she was scared of a bond forming between Natalie and Hope or if she was scared about revealing the circumstances of Hope’s adoption.
“Here we are.” Ten ushered both women into the room and shut the door behind him.
“Oh, my goodness,” Natalie said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Natalie, I’d like you to meet Hope and her mother, Monica.” Ten took a step back and watched as the women sized each other up. Natalie and Hope were crying, while Monica stood back looking stoic.
“I can’t believe you’re here, alive.” Natalie said, seemingly unable to take her eyes off her long-lost daughter. She held a hand out to Hope.
Hope shook her head, ignoring Natalie’s hand and instead swooped in for a hug.
Within seconds, everyone in the room was crying. Ten could see mother and daughter whispering to each other. He was curious what they were saying, but turned his gift off so he wouldn’t overhear the reunion.
When mother and daughter broke apart, Ten introduced Ronan and the detectives.
Last was Everly, who’d gotten up from the table to take Hope’s hand.
“I’m so happy to finally meet you. My gift has been telling me about you for a long time.
I knew I was gonna help find a baby, but I didn’t know you’d be all grown up. ”
Hope laughed.
“I was the one who told my Daddies your grave was empty.” Everly offered Hope a solemn look, as if she understood the gravity of the situation.
Both women gasped. “My grave?” Hope asked, turning to Monica, who wore a look of horror. “I don’t know anything about that.” She looked to Tennyson.
“Why don’t you both have a seat and we’ll explain everything we know so far.” Butterflies rioted in Ten’s stomach. He’d known this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation, but had no idea it would be this overwhelming.
Once everyone was seated, Ronan took over the conversation.
“As you know, Natalie came to Tennyson hoping to connect with your spirit. When Tennyson was unable to do that, he had a feeling it was because you were still alive, Hope. One thing Natalie told us was that she was present at Act of Mercy Cemetery here in Salem when you were buried. She was never allowed to hold you or see you before you were taken from her. We went to the cemetery the other day to see if there was a body in the grave or if it was empty like Ten suspected it was.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Monica said, looking as stunned as she sounded. She turned to Everly. “Did you dig up the grave? Is that how you knew it was empty?”
Everly shook her head. “I have gifts like my Dad. I could see that Hope’s grave was empty and so were all the others.”
“All the others?” Monica looked as if she were going to faint. “What others? What are you all talking about?”
“The St. Agnes House was in operation from 1955 through 1975. It housed unwed mothers until their babies were delivered. Those children were adopted with the birth mother’s consent through the Catholic Church,” Jude paused, taking a breath.
“However, there are fifty-seven graves in the cemetery belonging to babies born at St. Agnes House, that were stillborn or died soon after. Natalie was told that her child had died.”