Jamie swallowed visibly. "Tommy, I can't tell you." Tommy's faced hardened. "I'm raising your son as my own. It killed me that I couldn't save you. Do you know how I've hated myself that Stephen doesn't have his mother, and that it's my fault? You never even let us know you're alive, and then you slink through town like a coward."

Jamie jumped to her feet, angry. "The only reason I'm here is to protect my son! To save him from our family! No, I didn't tell you I was alive. Any contact with me put his life in danger. I was willing to die to save him. I am willing to abandon him to save him. Yes, I hated my mother for that, until I realized that she loved me enough to give me up. She gave me up thinking I'd be safe! For a long time, I was! So I'm not going to let you come in here and say shit like that, when it kills me everyday that I can't be with him!"

Tommy drew back. Fool that he was, he'd never considered that. He hadn't considered much after seeing Jamie, only driving through town trying to find the car again. Stephen slept at home with a neighbor watching him. Jamie sighed. "Okay. I guess I should let you know what's going on." Yet again, Jamie relayed the story of the curse and its continuance.

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Tommy was shocked by Jamie's story. Almost as much as the fact that he was sitting next to a killer. Michael looked like a normal man. It was probably the most terrifying that Tommy had ever seen the guy. If a guy comes at you wearing a freaky mask, okay, that's simple, run like hell. This guy could be on top of you before you realized something was amiss.

"How is he?" Jamie asked quietly. There was a wealth of pain in her eyes. Tommy reached into his wallet and pulled out a small stack of photos. Obviously, he was a devoted adoptive father. Jamie looked through them, beginning to cry as she watched her son grow through the pictures. "He loves to play baseball and soccer. He reads like someone twice his age. He loves school, has plenty of friends, and he asks questions about you all the time," Tommy said. "Your picture is on his nightstand."

Jamie started to shake. She didn't think she had any tears left, but her heart broke at the knowledge that she didn't know any of it. For a fleeting moment, she wished she'd never even pulled in front of that house. Tommy wouldn't have come to find her if she hadn't. And Jamie wouldn't have to know how much she'd really had to give up.

Michael's behavior was downright peculiar. Still not speaking, he got up and sat on Jamie's other side. He lay his head down on his shoulder like a child, which was funny considering he was at least a foot taller than Jamie. Jamie wrapped an arm around Michael and held him tightly to her. Collecting the photos in a pile,she handed them back to Tommy. Tommy held his hand up, saying, "You keep them. There are probably thousands of them at home." This brought a strained laugh from Jamie. At the very least, she knew her little boy was loved. Stephen was loved. He had a family. He had security. Which was more than Jamie could have provided.

"When are you going?" Tommy asked her. "Tomorrow," Jamie answered. "Speed is kind of "of the essence," considering the circumstances. I don't even know if that will be too late." Tommy raised an eyebrow. "I guess quasi-evil cults don't do so well with scheduling when in comes to evoking a psychotic maniac curse, huh?"

This earned a snicker from John, who'd been sitting back, watching quietly. This may be his family, possibly all that he had left of them, but he still didn't know them. He didn't know how to comfort his sister or even if he should.

Tommy said to Jamie, "You know, he wants to meet you. It would be hard, explaining that you're not dead and everything, but he thinks about you all the time."

Jamie stiffened. God, she wanted to see him. So much it hurt. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go. But what would that do to him? His dead mother returning from the grave? What if she didn't make it? What if she led Thorn to him? What if the spell broke, and Michael came after him? What if he lost his mother not once, but twice...

"Jamie," Tommy said. "I know what you're thinking. But Stephen doesn't have a mother. He may get hurt, yes, but I don't ever want him to find out that he had the chance to meet you and never did. You need to come. You know this." He was right. Either way, the situation wasn't ideal. Both prospects had the potential to be bad for him. However, for once, Jamie wanted to be selfish. She just wanted to see him, to see for herself he was really alright. Every day, she had wondered what he looked like, what his voice sounded like, what his favorite foods were. There was a strong possibility that she wouldn't make it. There was a good chance she'd end up like Michael. The happily-ever-after potential was slim to none. She wanted something for herself before she died. Or worse. She told herself she deserved this. Jamie looked at Tommy and nodded.

Tommy smiled. "Come by tomorrow, late morning. That'll give you two plenty of time together, and me some time to try to explain things to him." He hugged Jamie, his earlier anger forgotten or forgiven. Rising, he headed for the door.

"Tommy!" Jamie called. "Yeah?" Tommy asked. Jamie said to him, "Tell him... tell him that I love him," she begged.

Tommy smiled. "I've told him you love him since the day I found him."