22 Adair, Meet Adair
"There are things inside you that no one wants to face.
Things that you keep secret, even from yourself.
But secrets are funny.
Things that you try to hide always turn out to be the things you can't forget." - Georgia Lass
"Why has no one ever loved me?" - Daisy's last thought
After dinner Reggie was driving the two of them in his car to the church where Father Adair was waiting for a ride over to their house. George remained at the house close to Daisy, who was climbing the walls anticipating finally meeting her grandson, a priest no less. A cosmic touch of humor perhaps. From what George had said before they left the house Daisy was well aware of the cosmic touch. Anyway, because John had met the Father, he offered to escort him over.
Reggie said, "So John. This Father Adair is the priest that you and George met at that Maria's house last year down in Los Angeles?"
"Right. He officiated at Maria's funeral and then she showed up knocking on her own front door on Halloween, when she appeared to her family as when alive. The Father got brought in early and, well, it seems Maria told him a lot."
"I never knew Maria, well actually, I never met her at all. I did see her with the others."
"I met Maria after memories of her family had been erased. She was a good kid that died in a stupid car accident and drew the short straw to become a reaper. George and I were sent down to bring her back, we knocked on her front door, and this Father Adair was in the house tending to her and the family."
"That is what I mean, John. That could not be a coincidence. No way."
He knew exactly what she meant. He didn't think so either and the fact Father Adair had decided to ask for a transfer to Seattle, to the church nearest to where he understood his grandmother resided, the fact that this transfer happened so quickly, all combined to give John an awareness of strings being pulled by powers unseen toward ends unknown. "The whole thing is odd for some of these reapers too. Upstairs management goes to great lengths to separate them from anyone they knew when alive and here they seem to be pushing these two together."
"But I suppose it's not any weirder than my getting reacquainted with my dead sister."
"Taylor's reaction pressed home to me just how unusual that and this whole thing is. I feel like I'm in a play on a stage and someone else has the script, and I can't see the audience but I can hear them chuckle now and again." He remembered the DMV Gilligan. "George and I met some reapers in California, when we were getting the registration for her big SUV fixed, and one of them told me your sister is very special among reapers, sitting at the right hand of Death he called it. Sounds like she might be a saint or something among reapers."
"Yeah, John, do not tell that to my Mom. She would not use the word saint." She let that hang. He didn't want to go there either. She said, "Grace doesn't want to leave, you know?"
"She mentioned our talk in the restroom?"
"Yes. Wherever we're going she'll be with us."
"Maybe. Anyway. The Father is eager to meet his grandmother. And she him."
"OK. So Daisy had a son. When she was like what, a really young teen? And she was sent to have the kid all the way down in Los Angeles at a home for unwed mothers. And…"
"And she had him there and then her family disowned her, basically said never come home. Sounds kind of drastic. Different time. I don't know. The kid was adopted out or so they told Daisy, but they decided to keep him, or maybe nobody wanted him, and they raised him themselves in an orphanage they ran, but they didn't tell her. She left to seek fame and fortune in Hollywood and died without seeing her son again."
"So all these years, she's been a reaper and did not know what happened to her son?"
"George told me it's bothered her a lot. But she also says she doesn't believe Daisy has ever really told her the whole story. My Grandmother Mary has said things that imply more happened way back then, but…who knows? Why my Grandmother knows anything is beyond me, but it would explain maybe why the two of them are so close. Anyway that one son grew up, had a family, and one of his kids became this priest." He pondered that sequence of events turning them over in his mind again. "And this priest just happened to be waiting for us when we showed up to retrieve dear Maria, and he was assigned to the very home for unwed mothers where his own father was born and raised."
"So Daisy and this grandson don't have the same problem George and I have, right? It's in the safe zone, like you and Rube?"
"Right. Maria…Maria and her family did not understand the boundaries…and it wasn't pretty. At the end she could not remember her own mother and brothers."
"I never ever talk to George about anything…"
"Yeah, you need to keep it that way. Trust me. I've seen up close what it can do to the reaper if the reaper tries to reciprocate. But these two won't have that problem. Should be interesting."
"Should be fun."
"George asked him to bring the photo collections he acquired from the sisters, and anything for his father, brother and sisters, and their kids."
"The sisters had a photo collection? What does that mean?"
"You would not believe it. It's mostly newspaper clippings but they've got old photos of her. I think they must have gotten a thrill tracking those few years when Daisy was alive."
"So she really was a movie star? I don't remember…"
"Actually, no. She tried hard. She…had numerous relationships with movie stars and the papers and tabloids would sometimes have her pictured on the arm of somebody famous. You'll see."
"Ooh. George said something once about her…"
"Since acquiring Tommy and finding out about her extended surviving family she has…changed a bit."
"What…you mean she really did…?"
"Well, according to George, she pushes, used to push boundaries with older living men, those with money, in order to make her afterlife more comfortable."
Reggie laughed a bit. "George…"
"Did she tell you about my run in with Daisy?"
"She mentioned you got a brief lesson in what she can do."
"When I was investigating those murders last year, she got a hold of me in the Waffle Haus when I unwisely wandered into their lair. Who knew pancakes could be so dangerous. She took a hold of my hand for just a minute and I can tell you…well…she can manipulate a man's soul in ways…"
"There he is."
The Father was outside the church standing in the parking lot with a large bag sitting next to him, the big cloth kind for grocery shopping. He waved and Reggie pulled up next to him. With haste he got into the backseat and closed the door. John introduced Reggie as she moved the car back to the parking lot exit. He seemed in a hurry. "Father, I hope we didn't keep you waiting outside too long." He had expected to go inside to find him.
"No. No. John, it's just I'd rather not introduce you to the sisters. There are two of them ostensibly working late, and they are curious. Way too curious. With a little more time you will blend into the many contacts I'm meeting but for now, I don't want you to stand out, or, forgive me, risk having you connected to Los Angeles." John must have looked puzzled. The Father continued, "The sisters here could talk to those down there about a tall detective, the one visited by the FBI, who came to stay with a young woman. No, that got too many a little too excited. Better to keep a low profile for now."
Reggie pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street.
"Father, I understand. No problem." He looked back over his shoulder. "George is with Daisy now at the house. There will be a few other people there."
"I…John, I don't understand all the boundaries…and I want to be careful."
"I understand." The Father was present when poor Maria stepped over a boundary she wasn't aware of. "You won't have the problem that Maria had with her family. Anyway, Reggie here is George's sister."
"I'm so glad to finally meet you, Reggie. Your sister is quite something."
"I'm glad to meet you, Father."
There were three people counted among the living in this car and all of them had blood ties to different reapers, those counted among the undead, who were in the same reaper family. Those strings again and he couldn't help wondering why. But right now he wanted the Father comfortable. "You know, they form groups that are somewhat like a family."
"I gathered that from talking to Maria. She didn't describe it that way, but she named people she was living with in a house. The one we're going to now, I believe. It wasn't clear at first, you know the whole thing is a lot to take in, but then meeting George, well, she behaved very much as a sister might. And…aren't you living under the same roof with them now?"
"Yes. I'm afraid I have to stay pretty close to them. This little drive apart is rare. And I prefer not to drive myself."
"Why is that? I'm not sure I understand."
"Last year I had a few ghosts teach me a lesson or two. I cannot only see ghosts, and hear them, they also can make physical contact with me. One of them grabbed my hands while I was driving and steered me into a tree." He looked back over the seat. "It's been pretty good…otherwise. Most ghosts in the area are aware of me, but they're also aware that George is around." The Father had a question forming and John jumped on it. "George has some extra abilities, dangerous for ghosts who want to stay on this side of things, plus she has a bit of a temper. Ghosts are afraid of her in particular and of all reapers in general. So all in all I haven't been bothered too much. At most an occasional spirit will approach me to talk and then only if no reaper is close by."
John's phone tone sounded. He put it to his ear. George said, "John. Where are you now?"
"Uh, we just picked up the Father and…"
"About that. Why don't you take him somewhere…the Waffle Haus for a bit…until I call? Ahh. Daisy is having an anxiety attack." John didn't know what to say. George continued, "Mason is with her now, and it will be OK, but I'd rather not have her grandson waiting downstairs while Mason gets her ready to face him - just adding to the pressure."
"George, why…?"
"John, I do not know. There's something more going on and she's…just take a coffee break with him somewhere until I call you."
"OK. Will do." John disconnected. He turned to Reggie. "Let's make a stop at the Waffle Haus. It's…"
Reggie seemed to understand and said, "I know it well." And she turned at the next corner.
"Father, we're going to drop by somewhere…to pick up some rolls…maybe donuts. We've got more guests than expected."
The Father raised an eyebrow. "John, you're not good at this concealment thing. We had a conversation not unlike this once before."
John shrugged. He turned in his seat to better face the priest. "Father. Daisy is…well…I'm not sure what's going on, but…"
Reggie pulled into the Waffle Haus parking lot. Evening dark was taking hold. They got out of the car. The Father's brow was furrowed and he couldn't blame him. John knew he would have to be honest about this and maybe the Father knew something about the why behind Daisy's panic attack. The Father and Reggie walked towards the front door. She was saying something about this being Daisy's almost daily meeting place to get their reap orders. His attention was seized by a ghost hovering not far away. The ghost seemed to recognize him and move off. Good. He was leaving him alone. It was getting old being so tied to reapers and this chance to drive out with Reggie was a rare opportunity to get away. He would hate to have it spoiled by an encounter. There wouldn't be any reapers here now, since they were all at home waiting to be a part of this first introduction of Daisy and her grandson. Reggie stopped and looked back. So did the Father.
She asked, "Everything OK, John?" She didn't bother looking around. She was used to his occasional encounters with the other side and also knew she couldn't see anything anyway.
"Yeah. It's OK. He left."
He caught up and they all entered. Their booth was open and slid into it as if they owned it. Kiffany wasn't in. They ordered coffee. The Father didn't push things. He said, "Reggie, it must have been a shock to come face to face with a deceased sister."
"Not like you might think, Father. One day she left and didn't come home. Because of the way she died there was no open casket so…well…the fact is she looks exactly the same as the morning she left. And then…I suspected for a long time she was around and, well, last year one thing led to another and I finally got thrown into the know. You must have been surprised to find out your grandmother is here in Seattle."
"Exciting. I've never been this excited by anything in my entire life. He was all smiles now. My own father knew next to nothing about her, and it wasn't until I became a priest that I learned more from a few of the sisters that knew him in the orphanage. But really they did not know all that much either. And I suspect what little they knew they…well…Daisy's appearances in the newspapers seemed to have caught their attention or it did for a few. My father never talked about her. I believe he felt abandoned. You can imagine. He would not want to hear his own mother left him so she could chase movie stars. I always suspected the truth was more complicated. I've counseled a great many young unwed mothers. Maybe now I'll will learn something of what happened. To think that I'm going to meet my own grandmother. You know. You know, God does move in mysterious ways indeed."
God, or somebody, or…something.
The Father studied his face and said, "It's a gift from God this ability of yours to talk to those who have died."
John smiled to himself. While he was excited too when he learned just who Rube was it soon became clear that Rube was the type to suppress his true emotions at meeting and talking to his own descendants, or well, he had been hiding it all pretty well so far. Grace noticed it too. Perhaps Rube had been a reaper too long and that part of him that used to be alive was buried deep. Joy may have grasped some kernel of some such truth although her refusal to accept George as her daughter, her almost pathological belief that George, and all of the reapers were the spawn of Satan, well, that was over the top. He saw them all as pretty average normal people that had gotten taken up by some larger power. They had no choice in what they did, and what that higher power perhaps did to them over time. He would let Father Adair form his own impressions. "Well, Daisy is excited too. Father, Daisy is…with another reaper named Mason. He lives in the house with us."
"So you live under the same roof with my grandmother, and George, and then this Mason?"
"Yes. And Reggie, too." He paused. It was crowded. He was sure the Father was opened minded given what he had learned. "And Daisy has adopted a living boy named Tommy."
"I heard something about that. And it's very unusual. And he's…blessed…like you, right?"
He could hear the Father's grinning and he had to smile himself. Blessed. "Yes, he is, so he has to stay with them. And the man you talked to on the phone from Los Angeles, Rube, he will be there." He caught Reggie glancing his way. She picked up on there being something shared but not the what of it.
"He's your great…something grandfather."
"Yes. And a woman named Roxy will be there. She's a detective, homocide, working the Seattle police force and…she's with Rube."
"Interesting. A detective who collects the souls of the dead. How…?" The Father stopped perhaps resolving to deal with John's concealment and diversion from the why of their stop in the Waffle Haus.
John knew what he wanted, that he wouldn't be diverted. "Father. You said that your own father felt abandoned at that orphanage. Do you know what happened? I mean after all you somehow got assigned to the very location where your own father grew up."
The Father studied him for long moments. He looked over at Reggie. Reggie was waiting. She could guess why they stopped. Daisy was showing signs before they had left of conflicting emotions pulling at her. He smiled and put his hands on the table. He picked up a spoon and toyed with it. The coffee came and after the waitress had departed he said, "No. Not for sure. My own father said very little, but I know he felt abandoned. Maybe that word is not strong enough. Maybe betrayed would fit better. It was no accident that I found my way to that assignment taking care of unwed mothers and children no one wanted. When I first arrived there was one sister who still remembered the birth and she gave me pictures and clippings and told me her version of events." He sugared his coffee. They did their own too.
Reggie said, "Her version?"
"Yes, her version. Who really knows what happened? Daisy left him and never came back. I know that no matter how well intentioned the sisters can be, for a baby, a small child, growing up in an orphanage is not easy and it certainly wasn't for my father. I have counseled a great many young mothers, and their children, of all ages, and I know that the young mothers want to take care of their own children, but sometimes they have to let them go, to be adopted by other families, but it's never easy and there are always scars. On both sides. On the mother and then those scars done to the adopted children. Those left to grow up in the system they have it the worst. And I'm sure when the mother is close by and does not visit then that is not something the child can ever understand."
John said, "Daisy is feeling…some anxiety about meeting with you." He considered what to say, what might be a word too far. "Father, this bridging the life - death gap, you know, is not normal. Normal would be your grandmother would be long dead and gone taking any secrets of what she did or did not do to her grave. Your father is dead and gone, and whatever happened nobody would know or care about the events any more, whatever impact it had on the people alive now. In my own case I've heard bits and pieces of some complicated goings on back when Rube died." He paused because he wasn't sure himself what he wanted to say to the Father. He took what Grace had heard and passed to him and shared with her what he got from George, but neither was inclined to push Rube for more. And George had told him clearly it was bad manners to push a reaper about how they had died. Rube owed no explanation to him for what he had or had not done in his life and any events surrounding his death.
The Father he guessed had dwelled on these same issues and understood things well. The Father said, "It's not for me to judge. I know that these young girls are faced with some very hard choices."
John said, "Ahh shit." He could see two, no three ghosts moving through the windows and making their way towards their booth.
The Father said, "Excuse me?"
Reggie asked, "They're coming closer?"
"Yes, three of them. And they've been around a while."
The Father asked, "And how do you know that, that they've been around?"
"Well, the newer ones tend to respect walls, windows, and furniture, likely out of habit. These are moving through things without hesitation."
The three of them stopped three maybe four arms lengths away and waited. That was a good sign. They weren't demanding anything…yet. One was an older woman. Dressed in a hospital gown. The other two were men and in casual clothes. No telling how they died, but they weren't old when they transitioned. He looked at the Father and then Reggie. He had found it best to keep up the pretense of talking to someone. "OK. I'm listening." They both understood he was not talking to them.
One of them, the woman, moved a tad closer. "We mean you no harm, Mister Merryweather, but we would like to ask whether you would be willing to speak on our behalf?"
He couldn't help frowning because this was a well worn path and he already knew it almost always led to a bad end and disappointment. He hoped it didn't lead to violence. "To whom?"
"To the Father here. We know he just took up duties at the church and that he knows about you. So we believe…hope…you would be willing to help us."
John said to the Father, "They want to talk to you, Father."
"To me?" The Father looked thoughtful. "I don't see why not."
Another ghost entered the Waffle Haus. And then another. He said, "Ahh, two more just came in." He could see why not and the reasons were growing in number.
The woman said, "Please, we are trapped. There are many of us in the churches, the Father's church, but we have no way to communicate."
Reggie opened up her phone and texted something.
He said to the Father, "Apparently, Father, there are many ghosts in the churches, including in your church, who are desperate to talk to a priest, to you. They just don't have a way to do that."
"I would be happy to talk to any and all."
John really wished the Father had not said it that way. He closed his eyes and lowered his head for a moment. Reggie broke in casually, "George just texted me that she's coming this way. Now. She'll be here very soon."
The woman looked devastated. "We meant no harm. Please don't bring that one here."
The ghosts talked among themselves. First one and then two left and then the last moved through the windows and walls. John said, "They're all gone. Man, they really are afraid of George."
"I want to talk to them. Who would need a priest more than someone who has died, but can't move on?"
He said, "Father, I understand your desire to help, but in the last few minutes there were a half dozen gathered in here. There were more coming, many more. They would start friendly enough but believe me a few would get very aggressive about getting that help."
The Father considered that. He frowned. "I understand, John."
He doubted the Father really did. He said to Reggie, "Thanks."
She took his hand under the table.
Reggie's phone sounded. She answered. "OK. It's OK. They're gone. OK. We'll get going." She listened. "Great. Mason?" She disconnected said to them, "Mason came through."
The three settled at the cash register and left. John outside looked around, but saw nothing.
In the car the Father asked, "So this Mason, he fixed things with Daisy?"
John said, "Mason is a bit unusual." He didn't want to prejudice the Father. Mason was a puzzle for sure and the Father would be getting to know him soon enough. John had not thought much of the man at first, and had wondered about his attachment to Daisy. At first look the two would not seem to work together, but he knew there was more to the guy and to them as a couple. He considered back to what Trip had told him. "Father. About 10 years ago George reaped a very wealthy man here in Seattle, a Thomas Hesburgh." He turned to Reggie. "When I was tracking down the reapers last year I interviewed Trip, the son of Thomas Hesburgh, and he told me something that Mason had done." He returned to the Father. "Well, George liked the son enough to show up at the father's funeral, with Mason in tow. George had to leave early and then Mason improvised to play matchmaker." He looked over to see Reggie smiling. It was entirely possible, likely even, that the two sisters had shared this knowledge about Mason. He continued, "Before George left the funeral she returned a set of expensive earrings to Mason. Later when Mason saw prince charming looking for his princess, Mason told Trip that George had lost an earring and gave it to him to return to her, along with her address, the house we're going to now." He paused and smiled. "And he and Daisy did not return to the house that night.
Reggie was smiling. "You know, Trip gave me the address to their house. He kept it all these years. That was the breakthrough to my finding her."
Reggie turned onto their street. And John, needing to get a few more facts out, interrupted the flow, "Father, you remember, I'm sure, how George made those three ghosts visible at Maria's house?"
"Of course, not something I could forget."
"Well, there is one ghost that…co-habits with us and watches over Tommy. His name is Ray. And George can make it so he will be visible to you and Reggie."
"John. I…from what I saw at Maria's I thought ghosts always kept their distance. Didn't you just say that ghosts are afraid of George?"
"I did, and they are, and they do keep their distance. This one is the exception." He would leave out for now just how Ray came to be with them. Reggie pulled up to the curb. "Welcome, Father, to a Dead Man's Party." He smiled at the Father. He would be OK. The house lights were on but no one visible. They got out. John took hold of that bag, and the Father let him carry it. He peeked inside…photo albums. Of course. Mason opened the front door. Rube was behind him.
Inside Daisy was waiting with Tommy and she smiled at her grandson.
John and Reggie moved off to the side of the room as the Father was introduced around. Rube was one of the first - a face now attached to the voice on the phone in LA. George said her hellos and joined them on the side. There was some milling with Daisy and the Father at the center. They moved into the living room with Daisy on the couch and the Father sitting across. John caught Mason's attention and handed him the bag. Rube joined them.
He looked to George. "What was the problem?"
"I'm not sure. Through the sobs and tears, it has something to do with leaving her son at the orphanage. The sisters told her that he was gone, that somebody had adopted him, and I don't know, she told them it was OK, but she's feeling guilty about it."
Rube stepped closer. "Peanut, we all have regrets about what we did or did not do when alive. But most of us do not have faces put on our guilt and then it comes walking through the door." He looked at John. "John, I'm not meaning you, or Grace, or Mary." That seemed to cover his mental list.
Another car pulled up outside. John peeked through the curtains. "It's Grace, and Mary's with her. What great timing?" Mary and Daisy had gotten very close. "Who called her?"
Mason overheard and said, "I did. I thought Mary should be here."
Rube raised his eyebrows looking at George. George nodded and said, "The Father's seeing everyone as they looked when they were alive just as in those pictures.
Reggie said, "It's like you all have two faces. And when George flips a switch, the faces flip,"
Rube turned his attention towards the Father and Daisy and said to Reggie, "We do have two faces. Could be a metaphor."
Daisy and guilt did not go together, not normally. She had a long undead existence pretty much guilt free separating men and their money. Why she was acting this way over someone she had never even met was beyond John. Or was it? Rube had freaked out not so long ago when his Rosie had died. He felt serious guilt over his death, however that happened, and how that left his wife and young daughter stranded to take care of themselves. No one knew the circumstances of his death. He kept that to himself. Daisy feels something about how that son of hers ended up in the orphanage. John was sure that someone upstairs knew every fucking detail of the truth. And then…management has her grandson, a model of rectitude, a priest no less, show up to meet her.
George he figured was thinking along similar lines because she said ignoring any talk of metaphors, "And the icing on the cake, the slap to the face, you know what that will be?"
George turned to him and John raised his eyebrows inviting her to complete the thought.
"Her grandson, the priest, if they discuss this, which is just a matter of time, he will forgive her, sincerely forgive her."
John was sure he would too. The Father did not accidentally end up at his own father's orphanage counseling unwed mothers, many of whom faced situations not unlike the one faced by Daisy. The Father back then must have known he could never question his own grandmother, long dead, but he could learn much from talking to the young mothers that fell under his care. John said, "Is that so bad?"
"No. No, it's not, but I don't think she can forgive herself. And his showing up like this crushes any pretensions and delusions she's been maintaining through the decades."
Mary sat down next to Daisy on the couch. They exchanged whispers just between them. Tommy sensed something big was about to happen as the adults moved closer or turned their attention to Daisy and her grandson so he wanted to get in next to Daisy. Mary moved a bit to let him in. The Father was seated across from her. He smiled at Daisy and pulled the first album out of his bag. He reverently laid it out in front of her. All eyes were on Daisy now. Mary looked up and around. Something wasn't right. John could see that thought on her face.
Mason jumped in breaking the quiet. He sat down on the other side of Daisy. "Hey. Why don't we look at these a little later?"
Daisy said, "It's OK."
John leaned forward enough to see that the album was filled with news clippings and very old pictures of her. For Tommy and him these old pictures of the then living Daisy would match the Daisy that they both saw everyday. When a picture was taken of the now reaper Daisy it would look nothing like how they saw her. For Tommy, so young, it was a fact that pictures now could not capture his real Daisy.
Tommy spoke first recognition in these old photos of his Daisy, "That's you." He reached over and touched a picture and then looked up at Daisy. She smiled at him.
"Yes, Tommy. I was alive then."
Tommy knew that reapers looked different to the living than what he and John could see. He had taken pictures of reapers and seen that the image captured looked different. John had explained what was going on as had Daisy. Daisy turned another page and another picture cut carefully from some newspaper decades, many decades before and placed into this now old photo album. Daisy studied her own face and seemed to read a few words. She was with some man that was long forgotten but worthy of a place in the daily entertainment section way back then sometime before World War II. Maybe the man had been famous for something what?..maybe the radio, or movies. And then she closed the book.
Tommy asked, "What's wrong?" He paused and asked, "Who was that man?"
John could see several things wrong. Daisy formed a smile but her eyes were so sad. "I don't need to see these."
The Father frowned a bit. Mason reached over and pulled another album out. He did a quick check inside and said, "Darling." He pushed the open album toward her. John could see a picture of a man and a woman at the top of the page, and below them pictures of children.
Daisy's eyes locked on these new faces. He could tell her focus was on the man. Her hand moved over the page and she jerked up at the Father, her eyes forming a question. He smiled with understanding. "That's my younger brother and his wife, and their children. This was taken a few years ago."
This was not yet the right album. Mason reached into the bag again and pulled another one out. He looked at the Father and asked, "Father, where's a picture of…?"
The Father took the album from Mason and opened it up, found what he wanted, and presented so Daisy could see. "This is my father…and your son. An old army picture…from the Korean War. He was in his twenties."
Daisy took it slowly. John had heard the expression that went 'so quiet you could hear a pin drop' and could tell like him everyone was holding breath waiting. Her fingers moved over the face slowly. He knew many reapers wanted very much to cross back over and know about those that had been taken from them, but couldn't. Daisy had been moved so far away and never permitted anywhere near her son, always denied any knowledge of what had happened to him. And now Daisy was receiving a gift from up high. Something rare, a kindness perhaps, she was being allowed to see her son. It was ironic that this undead ghost had been haunted by hopes for and dreams of the son she gave up for so many years and now here was her own grandson someone who could tell her about the son she never got to raise. Mary reached over Tommy and put her hand on Daisy's arm.
Tommy broke in, "Who's that?"
Daisy was fighting back tears. She put her arm around Tommy and said, "Your brother, a few decades removed."