Chapter 16
Things were quiet for the rest of the evening. After a talk with her
sister, Anne left for Greg's She would be returning early the next morning
for Arizona.
Michael and Melissa spent the next few days in silence. Neither one would admit to the other that they were wrong. Michael believed his wife was making up family members and Melissa believed he wasn't supporting her. One afternoon Melissa approached Michael while he was looking again through the items in the chest. "I'm going back to Arizona." She said.
"What?"
"I want to find my family."
"You what?"
"Anne is the only family I have.I want to spend time with her."
"What about me? I'm your family now."
"I know you are.but it's different. Anne and I are blood.and we're going to find our parents."
"That's easier said then done Melissa."
"I can do it.I have to do it."
"And what if you don't find what you're looking for."
"I won't give up."
"What if you do find them.and they aren't what you expected."
"I thought you would be supportive in this!"
"I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"I won't."
"Let me go with you at least."
"No. This is something I must do on my own."
"You've been on your own too much in this life. I won't let you be alone any longer."
"Anne will be with me."
"That's not what I meant.You need someone there to support you. She should have someone as well. This will be a difficult journey."
"We have each other."
"And when that's not enough?"
"Michael, please."
"No. I'll help you.we'll find them together."
"What help can you be?"
"I am a historian Melissa. Maybe I can find something."
"Like what?"
"Well when I first got out of school, I did work with a company tracing back family histories. I can contact them and see if they will help."
"Family histories? That's very interesting."
"I thought so." He admitted. "Please.if you really think all those people are your family, then I can help track them down. I can figure out if you really are."
"And why couldn't you be as supportive yesterday? You thought I was crazy."
"I had a lot of time thinking last night. And I looked through that book of yours. There's so much information in there. The life history of everyone in that family tree. But it's odd. It ends when in 1978 when Katherine Sullivan disappeared."
"She what?"
"Left home and never came back. Apparently her father, Paul Sullivan, had been working on genealogy. It's his handwriting all throughout that book. He figured out all of his family history. Well on the last page, there is a note. I'm surprised you didn't see it when you were looking."
"I didn't see any note."
"Here I'll let you read it."
Michael handed her the book and Melissa began reading out loud. "I started to research my family history so that my children and grandchildren would know about the wonderful people who made them who they are. To discover the past is something not everyone can do or appreciate. I did both, but now I have decided to stop. With my daughter Katherine gone, there is no point. There is no one to teach and no one to listen. Our family tree ends today."
Melissa paused a moment after reading. "He seems so sad.and lost."
"I know. But well.after reading all about the wonderful line of people he came from. I can only imagine how it felt to have his only child gone. To him, that line was now dead."
"Tell me about them."
"Not now." Michael said. "First, we must find Katherine. I've been tearing the attic apart all night long. Looking for clues. For something that points you to this. Obviously it's odd that you found this house, but we can't count that as evidence."
"Did you find something?"
"One thing.a letter. From Katherine to her father."
"Ok so are you going to tell me what it said?"
"It was written in1984." Michael said before he began reading. "You were right." Katherine had begun. "I never should have left home. But I felt I had no choice. I never told you then, but I left because I was pregnant. I didn't think you would accept me wanting to keep my child. That was five years ago. Now I have two little girls that I cannot care for. I'm leaving them in good hands so that they can be raised right. There's a hospital nearby where I can leave the baby. A nurse told me that'd take Anne as well. Then I'm coming home dad. If you'll still have me. I love you, Katherine."
Melissa just stood there in shock. She shook her head. "No." she said. "It can't be."
"I did some checking this morning." Michael said. "Trying to find out about these people.There's an old man who lives near the college.he was friends with Paul when he lived here."
"Then Paul Sullivan did live here."
"And his father before that, and his grandfather before that. All the way back to Michael Quinn and Byron Sully."
"I told you this was their house."
"You were right." Michael could tell she was avoiding the obvious question. "Melissa this man.he knows where Paul Sullivan is.and his daughter Katherine."
"What should that matter?" Now that she had possibly found her family, she wasn't sure she wanted to. After all, these people had abandoned her. Left her to live a life full of pain and sorrow. Why was she trying to find them?
"Melissa Katherine had two daughters. Anne and Melissa, five years apart in age. She left them at a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri."
"No."
"It's true. I have Greg on his way to try and track down your birth certificates. And Kevin is in Denver looking for Katherine."
"Why Denver?"
"That's where she was last known to be.
"This is all so sudden."
"I know it's a lot to take in. But you wanted to find your family."
"I know.but I'm scared."
"I'm here for you. And Anne will be too when we tell her."
Days later, Michael got the best news they could have hoped for. "We found her!" Michael burst through the bedroom door. "Melissa wake up! We found her!"
"Huh? Whaa?"
"Katherine Sullivan! She's in Denver! She agreed to meet with Kevin!"
"What!?" This news brought Melissa to a startled awakening.
"Kevin found Katherine.in Denver, like we thought. She ahs agreed to speak with him!"
"So...it's true?"
"Now nothing is certain yet.but the woman Kevin found did give up two children for adoption, twenty years ago."
"So she's."
"I think so!"
"Oh Michael!"
"I know darlin, I know."
"We have to tell Anne."
"Greg's booking her flight here."
"You are so wonderful!"
"You know I'd do anything for you."
"I love you Michael Carter."
Michael and Melissa spent the next few days in silence. Neither one would admit to the other that they were wrong. Michael believed his wife was making up family members and Melissa believed he wasn't supporting her. One afternoon Melissa approached Michael while he was looking again through the items in the chest. "I'm going back to Arizona." She said.
"What?"
"I want to find my family."
"You what?"
"Anne is the only family I have.I want to spend time with her."
"What about me? I'm your family now."
"I know you are.but it's different. Anne and I are blood.and we're going to find our parents."
"That's easier said then done Melissa."
"I can do it.I have to do it."
"And what if you don't find what you're looking for."
"I won't give up."
"What if you do find them.and they aren't what you expected."
"I thought you would be supportive in this!"
"I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"I won't."
"Let me go with you at least."
"No. This is something I must do on my own."
"You've been on your own too much in this life. I won't let you be alone any longer."
"Anne will be with me."
"That's not what I meant.You need someone there to support you. She should have someone as well. This will be a difficult journey."
"We have each other."
"And when that's not enough?"
"Michael, please."
"No. I'll help you.we'll find them together."
"What help can you be?"
"I am a historian Melissa. Maybe I can find something."
"Like what?"
"Well when I first got out of school, I did work with a company tracing back family histories. I can contact them and see if they will help."
"Family histories? That's very interesting."
"I thought so." He admitted. "Please.if you really think all those people are your family, then I can help track them down. I can figure out if you really are."
"And why couldn't you be as supportive yesterday? You thought I was crazy."
"I had a lot of time thinking last night. And I looked through that book of yours. There's so much information in there. The life history of everyone in that family tree. But it's odd. It ends when in 1978 when Katherine Sullivan disappeared."
"She what?"
"Left home and never came back. Apparently her father, Paul Sullivan, had been working on genealogy. It's his handwriting all throughout that book. He figured out all of his family history. Well on the last page, there is a note. I'm surprised you didn't see it when you were looking."
"I didn't see any note."
"Here I'll let you read it."
Michael handed her the book and Melissa began reading out loud. "I started to research my family history so that my children and grandchildren would know about the wonderful people who made them who they are. To discover the past is something not everyone can do or appreciate. I did both, but now I have decided to stop. With my daughter Katherine gone, there is no point. There is no one to teach and no one to listen. Our family tree ends today."
Melissa paused a moment after reading. "He seems so sad.and lost."
"I know. But well.after reading all about the wonderful line of people he came from. I can only imagine how it felt to have his only child gone. To him, that line was now dead."
"Tell me about them."
"Not now." Michael said. "First, we must find Katherine. I've been tearing the attic apart all night long. Looking for clues. For something that points you to this. Obviously it's odd that you found this house, but we can't count that as evidence."
"Did you find something?"
"One thing.a letter. From Katherine to her father."
"Ok so are you going to tell me what it said?"
"It was written in1984." Michael said before he began reading. "You were right." Katherine had begun. "I never should have left home. But I felt I had no choice. I never told you then, but I left because I was pregnant. I didn't think you would accept me wanting to keep my child. That was five years ago. Now I have two little girls that I cannot care for. I'm leaving them in good hands so that they can be raised right. There's a hospital nearby where I can leave the baby. A nurse told me that'd take Anne as well. Then I'm coming home dad. If you'll still have me. I love you, Katherine."
Melissa just stood there in shock. She shook her head. "No." she said. "It can't be."
"I did some checking this morning." Michael said. "Trying to find out about these people.There's an old man who lives near the college.he was friends with Paul when he lived here."
"Then Paul Sullivan did live here."
"And his father before that, and his grandfather before that. All the way back to Michael Quinn and Byron Sully."
"I told you this was their house."
"You were right." Michael could tell she was avoiding the obvious question. "Melissa this man.he knows where Paul Sullivan is.and his daughter Katherine."
"What should that matter?" Now that she had possibly found her family, she wasn't sure she wanted to. After all, these people had abandoned her. Left her to live a life full of pain and sorrow. Why was she trying to find them?
"Melissa Katherine had two daughters. Anne and Melissa, five years apart in age. She left them at a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri."
"No."
"It's true. I have Greg on his way to try and track down your birth certificates. And Kevin is in Denver looking for Katherine."
"Why Denver?"
"That's where she was last known to be.
"This is all so sudden."
"I know it's a lot to take in. But you wanted to find your family."
"I know.but I'm scared."
"I'm here for you. And Anne will be too when we tell her."
Days later, Michael got the best news they could have hoped for. "We found her!" Michael burst through the bedroom door. "Melissa wake up! We found her!"
"Huh? Whaa?"
"Katherine Sullivan! She's in Denver! She agreed to meet with Kevin!"
"What!?" This news brought Melissa to a startled awakening.
"Kevin found Katherine.in Denver, like we thought. She ahs agreed to speak with him!"
"So...it's true?"
"Now nothing is certain yet.but the woman Kevin found did give up two children for adoption, twenty years ago."
"So she's."
"I think so!"
"Oh Michael!"
"I know darlin, I know."
"We have to tell Anne."
"Greg's booking her flight here."
"You are so wonderful!"
"You know I'd do anything for you."
"I love you Michael Carter."
