Disclaimer: The Tomorrow People is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.
xxx TTP xxx
John arrived at the location indicated on the letter he had received. He was shocked when he received the formal letter from a law firm a couple of weeks ago. It indicated that he had an actual blood relative that wanted to meet him. So there he was, staring at the entrance of the Bristal Assisted Living Home and took a deep breath.
Long ago he had stopped wondering about his real family. In fact his definition of family ended up changing over the years. He focused on taking care of those close to him. At first his foster siblings, then some of the younger recruits at Ultra, which took awhile since he was the youngest when Ultra first took him in, and finally the new breakouts. The Tomorrow People were his real family, especially Cara, Russell, Charlotte, Irene and even Stephen too. Because of that, he almost didn't agree to the meeting.
Then he thought about Cara's excitement at being reunited with her little sister and the bond Stephen has with his family and changed his mind. He decided to take the chance and see what would come from this opportunity.
Arriving at the room indicated, John took another deep breath then knocked on the door. A nurse let him in.
"This way please," she said. The nurse lead him into a sitting area where an elderly woman sat in a recliner staring out the window at a few birds flitting around a bird feeder.
"Mrs. Johnson, you have a visitor," the nurse stated.
The older woman turned and gasped when she saw John.
"You? You're my Celia's boy, aren't you?"
"I ... I don't know," John replied sadly. "According to this letter, I am, but I don't know who my mother is."
Mrs. Johnson laid a hand on her chest. It broke her heart.
"Well, let me tell you, young man, I know you are her son."
John slowly approached the woman, wanting to believe that she was actually related to him. He knelt down beside her chair.
"How do you know?"
"You take after your mother, except for that hair," the woman told John then gently cupped his face in her hands. "I see her in your face, though. Those eyes and your nose are definitely hers."
The elderly woman let go of him then wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. Just as John couldn't believe it, neither could she. This was the boy her daughter had given up so long ago. She had almost lost hope of ever finding him. She had been searching for him ever since her daughter tragically died 15 years ago. She needed to find this missing piece of her family, and now, here he was.
He was here, but he wasn't a boy any more. He was a man. He looked strong and healthy. That made her so happy to see he survived and thrived without his mother to guide him. A mother can be such an important influence in the life of a child. She had worried about what she would find, if she were ever able to locate him.
When the woman started to cry again, John immediately searched for and found a box of Kleenex on the side table just out of her reach. He leaned over, grabbed it then handed it to her.
"Thank you." She took a tissue and dabbed her eyes.
John felt a connection to her. Not like the one Stephen and Cara shared, but something more ... human.
"What can you tell me about my mother?"
"Everything ... if you have the time."
"I have some time now," John said. He then turned and grabbed a nearby chair from the small dining area. Having placed it next to the elderly woman, he turned all his attention on her.
The old woman's face lit up and she began telling many stories about when Celia was a child. How she loved to run and play and occasionally cause some trouble.
"She could be such a rascal," Mrs. Johnson laughed.
Then she shared some of the sadness, the distance that developed between them when her daughter became a teenager. Mrs. Johnson didn't dwell too much on that part of their life, moving on quickly to start talking about how they happily reunited.
Before he knew it a couple of hours had passed and John had to leave, but he promised to visit her.
"Really?"
"Yes, Mrs. Johnson."
"Call me grandma."
John hesitated ... he never had a grandma before.
"Yes ... grandma," John said with a smile.
Tears formed in the old woman's eyes again as her smile grew even wider. John's eyes even held a bit more moisture than usual.
"See you later ... grandma." John said then gave her a hug.
xxx TTP xxx
John visited her at least a couple of times a month. He learned many things about his birth mom, even why she gave him up. She was young and scared and thought he would have a better life with someone else. It was cliche, but John believed it to be true. He also suspected there was more to it than that. Unfortunately, she didn't know anything about his father.
He shared some of his life with her, but not all of it. He wasn't sure if she knew about the Tomorrow People or not, so he danced around that truth as much as he could. Mrs. Johnson was impressed that he had worked for an influential "security firm" but gave it up to mentor young gifted children that needed direction.
xxx TTP xxx
On one occasion, John brought Charlotte along, introducing her as his adopted little sister. Mrs. Johnson doted over her almost as much as she did with John. Charlotte at first was a bit embarrassed by the attention, but ended up appreciating the time with the elderly woman.
Their time together consisted of John and Charlotte helping her make a nice little meal for the trio, puzzles, games and, of course, talk. Mrs. Johnson shared some of her cooking tips with Charlotte. When John took over preparing the lasagna, while she and Charlotte fixed the salad, she could hardly contain her surprise.
"And you cook too? Why hasn't some young woman snatched you up yet?" Mrs. Johnson patted him on the back as she watched him deftly layer the ingredients in the pan.
As the lasagna baked, the little group chatted while working on a puzzle.
"Oh, John," Mrs. Johnson said as she slowly got up. "I have something for you. I'll be right back."
She walked into her bedroom then a few moments later re-entered the living area with a small box in her hands.
"Here, I want you to have this," the elderly woman said as she placed the box on the table next to John.
"No, I can't."
"Yes, you can. Now open it."
John picked it up and removed the top. Inside the box was a picture. It was one of the last pictures taken of his mother.
"She was beautiful. I wish I remembered her."
"Seeing as you were just a few months old when she gave you up, it's understandable that you don't. There's another picture in there."
John looked down and couldn't believe it. He pulled out the other photograph to get a better look at the image. It was of a young woman holding a baby. What struck John about it was the sadness in the mother's eyes as she lovingly held the child. He looked to Mrs. Johnson.
"Is this ... me?" He asked the question even though he knew what the answer would be.
"Yes, it's the only picture I could find. She'd made the decision so quickly that there were no formal pictures taken, just this one quick snapshot before she handed you over."
John stared at the picture taking in every detail.
"Are you sure you want to part with it?"
"It belongs with you. I want you to have it."
"Thank you," John said. He then got up and wrapped her in a hug and held her tight. "Thank you, very much."
Just then the oven timer went off. John glanced at the picture once more then set it in the box and placed the cover on it.
"Who's hungry?" John asked as he quickly swiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
xxx TTP xxx
After awhile, Mrs. Johnson started repeating stories about "her Celia", but John didn't mind. He wanted to hear them again and again to make sure he didn't forget them.
Then one day he stopped in to visit his Grandmother and when nobody came to the door, he looked for some assistance.
He found a nurse in the hall and asked "Excuse me, do you know where Mrs. Johnson is? She's not answering her door."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. She passed away in her sleep last night."
"What?" John couldn't believe it. He stood in the hall, letting it sink in, when another nurse approached him.
"You made these past few months the happiest ones she's had in a long while. The last thing she mentioned before going to sleep last night was how excited she was that her grandson was coming to visit her again. She is so proud of you and your visits made her so happy. She would tell anyone who would listen about her long-lost grandson."
It was the nurse who had initially introduced him to his grandmother.
"Finding you was the best thing to happen to her," she said then gave him a big hug.
"Thank you. It meant a lot to me too."
The End