A/N: Okay, it's going to take a little longer to finish this story than I thought. There will be one more chapter that will be a little shorter than my usual. Thank you all for the comments, PM, and especially for taking the time to read my work. I really appreciate it.

Chapter 37

"Lily?" Johnny called out, rushing to the window at the end of the hallway where Lily stood, once again staring out the window at the sidewalk below. He tentatively reached out, touching her shoulder, feeling her trembling beneath his fingertips. "Lily..."

"Leave me alone, Johnny."

"No, I won't leave you alone when you're like this... Please, jus'... turn around, a'right?"

"Why?" she asked, turning her head to the side and leveling him with her red-rimmed eyes. "All you're going to do is tell me I'm wrong for how I feel; just like them," she stated, waving her hand in the direction of the conference room.

Johnny used his hands to gently encourage her to step away from the window, squaring up her shoulders so that she was standing directly in front of him.

"No one, especially not me, is going to say you're wrong for how you feel. But," he said, holding up his finger to stop her protest. "But you should at least find out what he's doing for the case – talk to him for YOU, not for HIM."

The sound of the conference room door opening made both of them turn to see what was happening. Moses was escorting Kizzy into the hallway, and behind them, Slim and Iris were flanking Isaac. Johnny noticed how pale the older man had become, looking as though he might faint.

"Do you need my help?" the paramedic asked, already taking a step in their direction.

"No," Iris said, her voice sounding strained. "Mr. Smitherman is driving us to the hospital. Please stay with Lily." Iris held onto her father's elbow, pressing her lips into a thin line.

"Shouldn't you call the fire department, or somethin'?" Johnny asked.

"The hospital is just a couple of miles away," Moses replied. "Slim can get them to the emergency room just as quickly as the fire department can get here."

"Oh," Johnny replied. "I'll help you get him to the car; I think I need to ride along." He felt awkward just standing around when there were people needing medical attention.

"No, no," Iris said, much too quickly. "I'm sure the two of you are hungry. Johnny, would you see that she eats something? It's well past lunchtime and none of us ate breakfast," Iris said, holding up her wrist so that Lily could see her watch. She hoped the gesture would remind Lily of the clandestine meeting scheduled to take place later this afternoon.

"Oh, um... sure, yea," the younger woman stammered.

Johnny didn't like the ashen look on Isaac's face, but he was facing resistance from Iris and he certainly wasn't certified to provide emergency medical care in Alabama. Did Selma have paramedics? He didn't know.

"We'll just hang out at that little café on the corner," Johnny said, gently pulling on Lily's elbow.

"Or you could enjoy the nice weather... take a walk across the bridge, or something," Iris suggested, hesitating long enough for her father to catch his breath, hoping Lily was getting the message.

Lily walked over to her grandmother, still refusing to make eye contact with Isaac. "I hope your hand is okay, Grandma," she said, hugging Kizzy lightly, then turning to her mother. "We'll be near the waterfront, Mom," she replied, letting Iris know that she had not forgotten that the Gages were on their way to Selma. Lily hesitated for a moment, uncertain of what to say to her grandfather. Deciding that silence was her best option, she headed for the stairs.

"She'll be okay, Iris. I'll take care of her. I hope you both will feel better soon," Johnny said, looking at both injured parties, his eyes lingering on the elderly man.

"I'll be fine... ain't my first fight," Kizzy joked, hoping to lighten the mood, but she was worried about her granddaughter... and she suspected that Isaac was sicker than he wanted anyone to know.

"Thank you, John," Iris replied. She continued ushering her father down the hallway.

Isaac had thought for a moment that his granddaughter might speak to him, but when she didn't, the tightness in his chest worsened and his jaw began to ache. "Ugh... el...el...vator," he huffed in an airy voice, unable to inhale deeply without pain.

"That's where we're going, Daddy," Iris explained, knowing that he was in no condition to try to navigate stairs.

"Lemme help you," Johnny said, replacing Iris at Isaac's side. "I REALLY think I need to ride along."

"No, John. We're just a short drive from the hospital," Iris repeated. Although she was worried about her father's condition, she didn't want anything to interrupt the reunion that was soon to take place.

"I'm calling ahead so the medical staff will be waiting on them," Moses added, leaving Kizzy's side to quickly make his way to his office.

"Tell 'em we've got an ETA of four minutes," Slim said, just as the elevator doors opened.

The group made their way inside, then headed for the ground floor. Johnny kept a watchful eye on Isaac, hoping that he was experiencing an attack of angina rather than something far worse. He followed Slim's lead, heading for the large black sedan parked behind the building. He eased the elderly man into the back seat, watching as Iris helped Kizzy get into the front passenger's seat before quickly settling in beside her father.

Johnny closed the door, avoiding the temptation to give the vehicle a couple of firm slaps. He watched them drive down the street, seeing the other cars pulling over to allow the sedan to pass. He ran his hand through his hair, blowing out his breath. He turned to go back inside the building to find Lily, but saw her standing just outside the door. She was crying.

"W-will they be... okay?" she hiccupped.

Johnny looked over at her, frustrated by her actions, but sympathetic. "Kizzy will be... I don't know about your grandfather," he said, waiting for her reaction to his comment.

"W-why?" she asked, not even noticing his choice of words.

"Your grandfather is having some... worrisome symptoms, could just be angina or... or somethin' much more serious."

"Angina?"

"Yea... It's an intense pain in the chest that's a symptom of heart disease, but... Well, he might also be having a heart attack, Lily."

Lily felt her lower lip tremble, unsure of exactly how she felt about that news. She had been overcome with bitterness and hatred for him since she learned that he was actually alive, but now... she wasn't sure how she felt.

Johnny watched as the news began to sink in for Lily. He felt just as stunned as she appeared. He had arrived at the courthouse this morning for a deposition... but had ended up being a witness to pandemonium. Now two people were in need of medical care and two more were possibly heading for prison for murder, and his testimony was only partly responsible for the justice that was soon to be doled out a decade after the crimes had been committed. He heard Lily trying to clear her throat and looked over at her, seeing her coughing lightly into her closed fist.

"Ahua... Ahem."

"Let's go try to eat somethin'; this could be a very long afternoon," Johnny said, reaching for her hand, already feeling the pangs from skipping breakfast. With a little luck, he might convince her to go to the hospital after lunch.

They walked around the corner to the small café, deciding that the late autumn weather was pleasant enough to sit outside in the small courtyard. Johnny pulled a chair out for Lily, seating her before taking the chair on the opposite side of the table. They both pulled menus from between the condiments and began scanning the options.

"Good afternoon, folks… What can I get ya to drink?" a petite blonde waitress with bright red lipstick asked.

"Um, I'd like a glass of water with lemon, please," Lily said, still perusing the food options.

"I'd like a large glass of sweet tea," Johnny ordered, thinking about how much he had enjoyed the beverage when he had spent time here back in 1965. He quickly dropped the menu back into its place. "What do you recommend?"

The young waitress, obviously charmed by the handsome paramedic, gave him a toothy grin. "Fridays are fried catfish days. It's really good with hushpuppies, French fries, and cole slaw," she said, patting Johnny on his shoulder with her brightly polished nails.

"That's what I'll have," he said, giving her a flash of his signature grin.

Lily watched the flirtatious display and felt a twinge of jealousy. She could tell that Johnny was just being polite to the waitress, but Lily felt hurt. She knew she was hyper-sensitive because of everything that had happened at the Courthouse earlier, but she couldn't stop her eyes from beginning to water. She swiped at the moisture, batting her eyes frantically. Was it possible that he preferred blondes? If so, how could she possibly compete?

"What about you, hon?" the waitress asked.

Lily looked back down at the menu, unable to see the blurry words. "Um, yes… that sounds good to me, too."

"A'right, two fish plates comin' right up," she said cheerfully, swishing her ponytail behind her as she spun around, scurrying back inside the cafe.

Johnny waited until the waitress had left them alone before he spoke up. "Talk to me, Lily."

She sniffled, running her fingers beneath her eyes. "I've… got no-nothing to… to say."

Johnny leaned forward, lacing his fingers together as he rested his forearms on the table. "Aren't you at least curious about what happened back there?" he asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "Don't you wanna know how the trial is gonna go?"

"I already know… they'll get away with it… just like always… There's no justice down here and HE doesn't really give a damn. I'm glad Grandma punched him. He just wants to… wants to look like a… like some hero."

"That's not true and you know it," Johnny stated, narrowing his eyes at her until she lowered her gaze to her lap.

The clicking of heels signaled to the duo that the waitress was returning. "A'righty… here's ya drinks," she said, leaning over a little farther than necessary to serve Johnny his iced tea. "Those fish plates will be up in just a jiffy."

"Thank you, Miss," he said, reaching for the glass and taking a sip. He waited for her to depart before continuing his gentle chastising of Lily. "He's changed… People DO change, ya know. He's comin' forward and telling the truth about what happened that mornin'. And he was threatened for doin' it, too." Johnny watched her for a moment as she kept her gaze on her lap. "Are ya gonna ask me what happened with my testimony?"

Lily looked up, her dark eyes looking at him worriedly. So much had happened in the last couple of hours that she had forgotten to ask about Johnny's statement.

"I blew it," Johnny replied, cutting his eyes down Broad Street, his mind suddenly flooded with images from that day. The faint sounds of singing, followed by barking dogs and anxious shouts sent his respiration rate soaring and his heart racing. Shaking his head to dislodge the memories, Johnny continued staring at the bridge at the end of the street, not really seeing it. "Mr. Wilson asked me what I saw... and I had to tell 'im that I didn't SEE anything." Johnny shifted in his seat. "He got a real kick out o' that, but... Lily, I recognized his voice, the lawyer... I knew that he was the one who had attacked Father Mitchell..."

"Yea, Mr. Pettway explained that to us," she replied, watching closely as he continued to stare into the distance.

Johnny wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he realized that there was a lull in the conversation. He returned his gaze from the bridge ten years ago to Lily who was sitting in front of him now. He saw the pain on her face, sensing the confusion she must be feeling. "Mr. Jones told 'em about his boat bein' tied up along the river bank that mornin' and... now I realize that the taste I've been rememberin' all these years was from the rim of that small boat. I... I kneeled down beside it, propped my camera up on the edge and jus'... jus' started takin' pictures. Mr. Jones said there were teeth marks on the rim. He thought it was from Father Mitchell, but... it wasn't... those teeth imprints were mine... Your grandfather is really the star witness for the prosecution, Lily; not me."

"And I'm supposed to be grateful for that, huh?" Lily waved a hand in front of her. "Just act like he's been grandfather of the year for the last 25 years?"

Johnny gritted his teeth, speaking to her sternly. "No, you don't have to pretend like he's been a part of your life since your mom was pregnant with you, but you could at least give him a chance… hear him out… Let him tell you how he feels and... and maybe you should be honest with him, too. Plus, we haven't even talked about your maternal grandmother."

"Don't remind me," she said, rolling her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but saw the waitress walking towards them carrying their plates. She waited until the young woman had served them before continuing the conversation while Johnny hungrily began to devour his meal. She raised her fork, using it to peel back the crust of the fried fish, picking out bites of the white flakey meat.

"I suppose they'll just apologize for hating me, and then I'll have to forgive them, and everything will be rainbows and roses, right?"

Johnny looked around, grateful that the two of them were the only people in the courtyard. "No, no one is saying you have to forgive them, but… I think you should at least give them a chance to talk to you… hopefully apologize."

"Why? Besides, where the hell is Grandma Jones, anyway?" she asked, allowing a sarcastic look to color her face. "Oh, that's right; I'm sure she's at home baking me cookies!"

"Look, let's take a timeout and eat lunch before it gets cold. I have the keys to the rental car; we'll go to the hospital as soon as we finish eating," Johnny suggested, pouring ketchup on his French fries.

"We told Mom we'd wait here."

"Her father may be seriously ill, Lily… Your grandfather… Don't you think Iris might need your love and support right now?" His dark eyes scanned her face. "You may not give a damn about him, but I know you love Iris and Kizzy."

Lily looked down, shrugging her shoulders. He was speaking the truth and she knew it.

"Well, she and Kizzy are there without a car, Lily. How's Kizzy gonna get back home since we're the ones who picked her up this morning?" he asked around a mouthful of French fries. "You don't have to go in, but we need to go see about 'em."

Lily felt like a child pouting, but she couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth. "I'll go with you to take Grandma home, but I will NOT go to the JONES residence," she spat out, shoving a small bite of fish into her mouth.

Johnny pushed the partially chewed French fries into his jaw in order to speak. "He may not be going home today," he said, hoping his words would bring her to her senses.

"Well," she responded, sniffling like a small child. "I don't care," she mumbled, knowing that she was being untruthful. She cared more than she was willing to admit.

Johnny, his frustration showing on his expressive face, shoved his fork into his cole slaw. "Fine!"

Lily truly wanted to go to the hospital. She wanted to check on Kizzy, but there was a hint of concern tugging at her heart for the grandfather she had never met until today. Was it possible that her first meeting with him would also be her last? There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but none of them were pleasant. She couldn't say those harsh words to a man who might be having a heart attack – a man her mother obviously still cared about, in spite of what he had done to her. And what about her maternal grandmother? What was she like? Did she still hate Lily as much as she must have when Lily was born?

"You really are half Irish, aren't you?" Johnny pointed out, noticing that she was staring into her plate, clenching her jaw muscles. When she didn't respond, he snapped his fingers in front of her face.

Lily looked up quickly. "What?"

"I said… You really are half Irish."

The young woman knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're the most stubborn woman I've ever met!" He dropped his napkin onto his empty plate, then pushed it aside, reaching for his tea. "You can't admit it, can you?"

"Johnny… please…"

"Nu-uh… I'm not gonna shut up about this because you're makin' a big mistake," he said, looking around to ensure their conversation was still private. He leaned forward, lowering his voice. He was about to use a tactic he had learned from Roy. Roy seemed to be a pro at using it on Johnny, so he surmised it would work on Lily, too. He had been thinking about her reactions and statements, and he thought he had figured out the real reason that Lily had run away to join the cult several years ago… and it wasn't just because her mother had lied about her maternal grandparents being alive. "You're ashamed of them, aren't you?" he began with a false accusation. He needed to make her angry to peel away the protective layers of her heart, even if he had to veer slightly off course to get the job done.

Lily wadded up her napkin, slamming it onto the remains of her meal. "I don't know what the hell you're trying to do, John Gage, but I have done nothing… NOTHING to be ashamed of!"

"I didn't say you had DONE anything to be ashamed of, even though you have… You walked away from a sick old man… a man who is your grandfather… and you never even looked at him." He waited for a moment, seeing a vein bulging along her temple. It was working. "What I said was that YOU are ashamed of THEM… The Jones family. What if he dies, Lily? What if you just lost your one chance to speak to him?"

"I don't want to hear his lies! He's a racist and a bigot! Just like everybody else in this town! He knew who killed Uncle Phillip all along and he wouldn't come forward to tell the authorities because he didn't care! He's a coward! And I HATE him!"

Johnny saw the look on her face and knew that he was reaching his target. He sat back, satisfied with what he had done. "Like I said… You're ashamed of them… of YOUR family."

"MY family? No way… They are NOT my family. THEY denied ME, remember? THEY wanted nothing to do with ME… The only relatives I have down here have skin darker than mine… not lighter!"

"Now YOU'RE bein' a racist," he added.

Lily leaned against the edge of the table so that her face was closer to his, seething. "WHAT? That's ridiculous!"

"Then why are you yellin' at me?" Johnny asked without raising his voice. He was accomplishing his task.

"Because you're the one who brought it up!"

"I only mentioned your maternal grandparents. You're the one who added all the white people in Selma, callin' them all bigots and racists… just 'cause their skin is a lighter shade than yours."

"If you're trying to make a point, I don't understand it; this makes no sense," she argued, leaning back in her seat.

"Have you ever heard the statement that you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family?" Johnny asked, hoping he was finally reaching her heart.

"Yes… and that's sooo true," she added, her voice a venomous mixture of sarcasm and anger. "Because I would NEVER have chosen the Jones family to be born into."

"You've only met, two… no, three of them and one is your mother! You're making some pretty big assumptions based on just a little information about a couple of members of the Jones family."

"Well, where have they been all my life?" she spat out.

"Where have you been all their lives?"

"I don't even know who they are, Johnny!" she argued, not realizing she was making his point.

"BINGO!"

Johnny leveled her with his dark eyes, searching her soul, the soul of the teenager who was devastated by the traumatic things she experienced during the Civil Rights Movement, and the added burden of finding out about her grandparents' rejection just a few years later.

"Baby… You're assuming that they hate you because of your father, but you haven't even met them. People have to talk to each other, Lily," he pleaded. "They have to be open with each other. You can't assume you know what someone else is thinkin' or feelin'… You have to ask. You've spent way too many years hating your grandparents and assumin' that everyone on your mother's side of the family hated you for bein' half black when… Lily… Didn't a distant maternal cousin search for you a few years ago? Isn't that how you found out that your grandparents were alive?"

She merely nodded her head, using a napkin to dry her runny nose.

"Did you keep up with her? Did you contact your other relatives?"

Lily slowly shook her head. She had been so traumatized by the news that she had run to the cult, losing contact with the young woman who had sought her out.

"Why not?" Johnny asked. He hated it when he made her cry, but he knew that sometimes tears were the best way to cleanse the soul.

"I knew that… that they were… ash-ashamed of… me…," she hiccupped. "I… I didn't wanna… see it… on their… faces."

"Lily… You made a lot of assumptions because you were afraid to seek out the truth," Johnny said softly, his voice soothing.

"But… I was… jus' a… ba-baby, and-"

Johnny reached for her hand, allowing her to use him as an anchor. He ran his thumb along the back of her hand as she continued to weep. "I know… You've been hurt so badly, sweetheart. It isn't fair. What they did to your parents, and ultimately to you, was wrong, it was jus' flat out wrong. But you've been lettin' your hate… and your fear consume you for years. I think it's time that you confront the issue… face to face."

He watched her struggling to speak, but knew she was feeling an emotional lump in her throat.

"Do you think that maybe somewhere deep down inside, your mother regrets eloping with your father?" he asked, knowing he was piercing her already broken heart. He watched her respiration rate increase and knew that he was on the right track.

She shook her head from side to side. "No… she loved him… so much… but… If it… hadn't been… for me… then when he… died, Mom… she could've… gone back… home," Lily sobbed, finally expressing the deep-seated sorrow and guilt she had been living with for years.

Johnny felt a lump swelling in the back of his throat. He had reached her. He had managed to bring out the truth, the truth she had been running from for far too long. "That's why you ran away to the group in the mountains, wasn't it? It wasn't the fact that your mother had lied to you; you wanted to give her an out, a way to return to her family without you taggin' along because you felt like you were a barrier to her goin' home… maybe even… an embarrassment to her."

Lily could feel the splotches growing on her face and neck as she continued crying. Her eyes were burning and she felt hot. She wanted to leave, to run away again, to hide from this man who had just uncovered her darkest secret, but then again, she loved him with all her heart. She felt as though she were floundering around in quicksand; the harder she tried to get away, the deeper she sank. She wanted to say more, to ask him how he knew, but the sound of the waitress returning with their check made her turn her head away, reaching for another napkin to dry her eyes.

"Aww, suga' are you a'right?" the young waitress asked, dropping the check on the table between them.

Johnny reached for the bill, offering an understanding smile to the kind young woman. "Ahem… It's been a really difficult day, Miss."

"Well, I know how to fix that, hon. I'll be right back an' it's on the house. Don't you worry none," she called out over her shoulder. "We'll have that frown turned upside down." Her voice echoed in the courtyard as her clicking heels faded on her return trip inside the café.

Lily couldn't say anything, her voice lodged in her throat. She watched as Johnny withdrew his wallet from his back pocket, dropping enough cash on the table to cover their meal and a very generous tip. She reached for her purse, but he stopped her.

"Nah, I've got this," he grinned, flashing the same flirtatious look in her direction that he had tossed at the waitress earlier.

That grin melted Lily's heart; it always had and probably always would.

"I can tell by the way y'all talk that y'all ain't from 'round here, so I've got a treat for ya," the waitress announced when she returned, carrying a small tray. "I've got two slices of fresh pecan pie and two cups o' coffee," she said, serving Lily first and then Johnny. "Compliments of the chef," she said, winking at them both. "Can't have our guests leavin' here feelin' poorly," she stated, collecting the meal ticket and the money. "Thanks a bunch, suga'," she said, waving the bills in Johnny's direction as she picked them up. "I hope y'all enjoy it, and that y'all will come back to see us. Jus' wave at me if ya need anything else, a'right?"

"Thank you, Miss."

Lily reached for her fork, her mouth beginning to water as she looked at the scrumptious dessert. "Yes, this was very kind of you."

"Y'all have a nice afternoon," the blonde-haired woman said, walking away from the table.

Johnny waited until they were almost finished with their pecan pie before he spoke up. "So… still think that everyone in Selma is a racist and a bigot?"

Lily shrugged her shoulders, finishing the last bite of her pie, allowing the faintest hint of a smile to appear on her face.

"You won't… tell my mom, will you?" she asked meekly, referring to her secret that Johnny now knew.

Johnny reached for her hand again. "Lily, I love you. The things that you and I share… they're between us. Besides, nothin' good would come from Iris knowin' about this. She's under enough stress right now," he reminded her, stroking the back of her hand. "I promise that I won't tell her anything. However, speakin' of regrets…"

"I know… You think I should talk to him and tell him how badly his rejection hurt me," she said, speaking about her grandfather.

"I wouldn't say anything to upset him right now, but… eventually… yea, I think you should. I think both of your maternal grandparents need to know how you feel. And you just might learn a thing or two about them and why they did what they did." He saw her eyes widening in horror and continued. "I'm not sayin' that it was right. I'm no shrink, but I do know that if people would just be more honest with each other… and actually TALK to each other instead o' makin' assumptions, then… the world would be a better… happier place."

Lily thought for a moment, wondering if she should say what was on her mind. After all, she wasn't the only person who had been making a lot of assumptions over the years. She looked up the street at the north side of the bridge, but didn't see the Gages. She had to stall him a little longer. "Can we… go sit on that bench, down by the river?" she asked. "I just need a few more minutes to get myself together and… and then I'll go with you to the hospital."

Johnny flashed her his crooked grin. "That's my girl," he said, lifting her hand to his lips for a quick kiss before helping her to her feet. He pulled his sports coat off the back of the chair, draping it over one shoulder as he followed her out the gate of the courtyard.

They walked a couple of blocks, seeing the famous bridge rising ahead of them. Although the afternoon was clear and sunny, Johnny's eyes began seeing fog floating up from beneath the bridge and his face felt the chill in the air from that misty cool March morning. He swallowed hard, blinking his eyes to force the memories back into their hiding place. As they meandered along the sidewalk, an elderly man crossed in front of them, walking to his antique black Chevrolet pick-up truck. The door creaked when he opened it, sending a chill down Johnny's spine, but when the older man cranked it up and it back-fired, Johnny's knees nearly buckled. He covered Lily protectively, pushing her against the brick wall of the jewelry store they were walking past, shielding her with his own body.

"Johnny?"

Realizing what had happened, Johnny backed away from her, releasing her from where she had been pinned.

"So-sorry... I jus' thought that... never mind," he mumbled, looking around sheepishly. He had to get himself together, but there were so many memories assaulting him from every angle that settling his nerves was proving difficult.

They continued walking in silence, Johnny's racing heart finally beginning to slow. He looked at the sidewalks on both sides of the street, seeing people of various skin coloring shopping in the local stores and walking together beneath the balconies of the two and three story buildings, enjoying what appeared to be pleasant conversations. The scene reminded him of the pictures he had seen of Creole Townhouses in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Along the way, Lily summoned up her courage to speak to him about his situation with his parents.

"You know… I'm not the only one who's been making a lot of assumptions."

Johnny continued looking ahead at the sidewalk, avoiding the sight of the looming bridge, not liking the direction she was taking the conversation.

"This isn't about me," he mumbled.

"Maybe not, but you're right… People DO need to talk to each other. YOU need to talk to your parents... ASK them how they feel, not just assume you know."

Johnny squinted his eyes, seeing the sun reflecting off the windshields of the passing cars. He pursed his lips, remaining silent.

"You're assuming that they're ashamed of you, but you haven't actually talked to them about it… about ANYTHING!"

Johnny inhaled a deep breath. He knew she was right. She was using his own words against him and he hated it. Neither one said a word as they neared the empty park bench beside the river. The lamp post on the corner was decorated with square bales of hay, stalks of corn, and drying cotton plants. A few pumpkins and various colors of mums added a bit of color to the otherwise drab setting. Sitting on one of the hay bales was a scarecrow; its lifeless body reminding Johnny of the lifeless body of Phillip Campbell hanging by his neck along the edge of the river. He felt his heart pounding in his throat, his palms beginning to sweat. Turning his back to the fall decorations, he gestured toward the empty bench.

Lily took a seat, skillfully selecting her position so she would have the best view of the parking spaces opposite them. She knew that Johnny would be looking at her, having his head turned away from the street and away from his parents when they arrived. Lily just hoped they would get here soon.

Johnny folded his sports coat, setting it beside him on the metal bench. He looked up, seeing the long strands of Spanish moss hanging from the oak tree limbs above them, the gray beard-like plant swaying gently in the afternoon breeze. He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the natural sounds of the river contrasting with the urban sounds of cars passing by them. It seemed that most things in his life were contrasting. He was half Indian and half white. His girlfriend was half white and half black. His job was half medic and half fireman. For the last decade, he had been living in a world of part-time bravery and part-time terror. He turned to his side, seeing Lily holding her bottom lip between her teeth. He could tell she was anxious.

"Just take a few deep breaths, baby," he encouraged, hoping she would feel well enough to go to the hospital in just a few minutes, erroneously presuming that her anxiety was due to the stress of the morning.

Lily allowed the gentle breeze to blow her dark hair away from her face. She closed her eyes, basking in the afternoon sun as the sounds of birds and insects that called the river bank their home grew louder and louder.

"Johnny… Can I ask you something else?"

He placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a light squeeze. "Sure."

"I admit… I need to talk to my grandparents, but WHEN are you going to talk to your parents?" Lily looked straight ahead, not wanting to see the look on his face. "You've never talked to your parents about what happened here," she reminded him, waving her arm toward the bridge.

Johnny pursed his lips, joining her position staring straight ahead. "And I honestly never would've if your mother hadn't done it for me," he said, stiffening his back. "Like I said earlier… there're some things that would be too painful for our loved ones to know. Iris doesn't need to know that you felt like you were baggage for her… and my folks don't need to know that…," he leaned over, resting his forearms on his thighs, hanging his head. "That they raised a… a coward who let… let my people down."

Lily decided to push things a little further because she knew he needed to see how he was doing the same thing that she had been doing – making assumptions and running from those who loved him most.

"You think your Dad is ashamed of you, don't you?"

Johnny stared at his cuticles, stretching his long fingers out, examining the small scars that were the result of his job. "I know he is," he mumbled. He felt the heat of his shame boiling up from his chest, rivulets of sweat beginning to trickle down the side of his face. A dog barking in the distance made his chest tighten, his breath hitch. His mind took him back to the sights and sounds of police dogs barking and attacking the marchers. The day had started with peace and hope, but had ended in tragedy and disappointment. He hated this place, even though it was a beautiful setting. His entire life had changed here a decade ago, and his relationship with his parents had been severed – possibly forever.

Lily ran her hand along his back, feeling the tension in his taut muscles. She noticed a gray sedan, much like the one they had rented, pull into a parking spot across the street. She took a deep breath, waiting to see who might emerge. She hadn't seen the Gages since Johnny's graduation from the Fire Academy, but she knew she would recognize them, and she knew they would recognize Johnny.

A tall thin man stepped out of the vehicle, stretching his back and turning to look in her direction. She gave him a slight nod, seeing the recognition on his face. It was Roderick Gage. Sharon got out of the passenger's side, and they met behind the car. She slipped her hand into the crook of her husband's arm, both of them looking in Johnny's direction. Lily saw Sharon dabbing a tissue to the corners of her eyes. She knew exactly how the older woman felt. She saw them heading for the crosswalk to wait for a break in the traffic so they could cross the street.

Lily's attention returned to Johnny who was still slumped over staring at his hands. "How do you know that's what they think if you haven't talked to them about it?"

Johnny knew it was a fair question, but he didn't like having his own psychology turned back around on him. "I jus' know, a'right?" He responded, curtly.

She continued rubbing her hand gently along his shoulders, needing to make a physical connection with him. She saw the older couple crossing the street and knew that there was about to be a reunion that might be tender, or explosive. Either way, the relationship between Johnny and his parents would never be the same. Would her relationship with Johnny be damaged by her role in the surreptitious meeting?

"You're afraid of the truth."

"Am not," he shot back. "I know my parents well enough to know how they feel, okay?" He hesitated for a moment, cutting his eyes at her. "Especially my father."

Undeterred, Lily continued. "If they were standing here right now, would you ask them how they feel about what you did?"

Frustrated by the conversation, Johnny ran his sweaty palms along his pants legs. He narrowed his eyes at her, feeling his pulse pounding, hoping to change the conversation. "Are you ready to go?"

"You didn't answer my question," Lily said again, seeing the older couple walking towards them just a few feet away.

"Okay, yea… Yea, if they were here, I'd ask them how they felt about having me for a son," he said, pointing his middle finger at his own chest. His face was growing red as he pondered how he was going to broach the subject when he finally did see his parents again, but having no idea just how soon that meeting would take place.

Roderick Gage heard Johnny's statement, and he responded as truthfully as he knew how, struggling to push each word past the lump in his throat.

"So… Very…Proud."

Johnny's tense facial features softened momentarily, his dark eyes widening and his chin dropping, leaving his mouth agape. Had he just heard correctly? The look on Lily's face told him that he had. He searched her eyes, seeing them pooling with more unshed tears, and a knowing smile spreading across her face as she looked upwards. Johnny gulped, feeling his Adam's apple bobbing. Slowly he turned his head away from Lily and toward the sound of the familiar voice.

"I'm… ahem," Roderick began, struggling with his own uncharacteristic emotions. "I mean, we…," he said, pulling Sharon into a sideways embrace. "We are the proudest parents… that any… any son… could ever… have, John."

Johnny struggled to inhale a breath, slowly standing on his long legs that suddenly felt like wet noodles. This wasn't possible, was it? "Mom? Dad? How…?" His words were choked off, his throat constricting, his chest tightening. He gasped for air, struggling to inhale a breath. Immediately, his training kicked in. 'Get low… good air… low,' he thought to himself, feeling his knees buckling as he fell backwards. He somehow managed to fall onto the bench, the only thing keeping him from landing on his backside on the cobblestone sidewalk. Leaning forward, trying to get his head lower than his heart, he consumed gulp after gulp of precious air.

"Johnny?"

Johnny heard Lily calling out to him, her voice sounding far away as his field of vision narrowed. He squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating on slowing his respiration rate.

"Slow down… You're hyperventilating," Lily instructed, kneeling in front of him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

After a moment of intense concentration, Johnny felt his breathing slowing, the tingling in his hands andtongue subsiding. He felt a large hand on his other shoulder, squeezing gently, and the feel of a man sitting beside him. From behind him, a second all too familiar hand began rubbing soothing circles along his upper back, just like when he was a child. The feminine hand grazed across his hair as his mother walked around the park bench, squeezing to sit in the narrow space between Johnny and the arm of the bench.

Johnny thought about the large tree limbs above the park bench and briefly wondered if perhaps one had fallen. He must have suffered a head injury; it was the only plausible explanation. They couldn't possibly be here, could they? Forcing his eyes open to confirm his suspicions, he saw the jean-clad legs of his father sitting on his right and the plaid dress of his mother sitting on his left.

"Ugh... Oh... mygod," he groaned, panting between words, not wanting to look into the disappointed faces of his parents, but it had been such a long time since he had seen them, and he missed them more than he had realized.

"Easy, son… Take it easy," Roderick said, squeezing Johnny's neck once more. He had known that their sudden appearance, especially in Selma, would come as a shock to Johnny, but he had no idea the affect would be this traumatic.

"I… um," Johnny couldn't find his words, his mouth as dry as the cotton ready for the harvest in the fields near Kizzy's house.

"Sshhh," Sharon Gage soothed, continuing to offer what comfort she could to her son. "We love you, sweetie," she said, crooning to him as though he were still a little boy.

Lily stood up from her kneeling position in front of Johnny, backing away as he pulled himself back up, leaning his back against the cool metal bench. She watched, feeling as though her heart would burst when she saw Johnny reach out, embracing his parents, clinging to them as though they might disappear like a vapor in the hot sun if he released them. Lily saw Johnny's shoulders begin to shake and knew that he was overcome with emotions. He had always been her rock, her fortress, but seeing him here, sitting between his parents, sobbing as he wrapped an arm around each of them, she saw him in a different way. He seemed so… vulnerable. She remembered how often he had cried in her arms when they had first returned to California. The nights were the worst times for him. She remembered how he would wake up, calling out for his parents. Fortunately, Iris' bedroom was on the opposite side of the house, but Lily could hear him crying. She would silently sneak into his room, crawling into his bed, and holding him while he sobbed. She never told anyone about these episodes, but they had seemed to cement their love for each other. That was when she had learned how he felt about himself – like he was a total failure as a son, and as a member of his tribe.

Sharon Gage ran her hand down her son's dark hair, feeling the silkiness so familiar to her. His build, his entire being was so much like his father. She also knew that he had inherited Roddy's stubborn streak. She pulled away from his shoulder, keeping her arm around his torso. She looked into his teary eyes and felt overwhelming love squeezing her heart, the same love she had felt when the midwife had laid him on her breast for the very first time. While the years had masculinized his features, he was still her little boy. He was still her Johnny.

"I've mis-missed… you," she croaked out, cupping his reddened cheek with her pale hand. "I lo-love you, Jo-Johnny," she said in a hoarse whisper. "And I… I always will..." There was so much more she wanted to say, but her vocal chords were no longer functioning. She saw him turn his face to the side, to look in the general direction of his father, and her breathing hitched. He had matured so much since she had last seen him, and he looked so much like his father.

"Da-dad… I'm… sor-"

"No. Don't say you're sorry." Roderick cut off his son's apology, enveloping him in a bear hug that nearly pressed all the air out of Johnny's lungs. "Don't… ever say… that, son," Roderick managed to say, releasing Johnny but turning to face him. He looked at the man his son had become, and the sadness on Johnny's face ripped his heart right out of his chest, leaving his soul injured. Johnny's eyes were downcast, and Roderick knew that Johnny felt too ashamed to even look at him. Had he really felt like this for the last ten years?

Roderick ran his palm down his own face. He looked to his right, seeing the Edmund Pettus Bridge spanning the Alabama River. It had witnessed the best and worst that humanity had to offer. It seemed like a fitting place for him to have a heart-to-heart talk with his only son.

"Ahem…" Roderick cleared his throat, standing. "John… Let's take… a walk, please?" the older man asked, seeing Sharon offering him a brief nod of affirmation. "Can you… stand?" He asked, reaching out his hand.

Johnny looked at Lily and remembered that they needed to get to the hospital. "Um, I-"

"He'll be glad to take a walk with you, Mr. Gage," Lily spoke up. She directed her next statement to Johnny. "I'm sorry we had to… surprise you like this, but, um…"

Johnny shook his head, letting her know that her apology wasn't necessary. He exhaled a cleansing breath that puffed out his cheeks. Everything seemed to be falling into place, especially Iris' insistence that he and Lily wait near the courthouse instead of going to the hospital. It all made sense now.

Accepting a hand from his father, he stood up, holding onto the back of the iron bench until he knew he was steady on his feet. "You um… ya really, uh, surprised me."

"It seemed like the best way," Sharon said, her smile a soft apology as she rose to her feet.

"Um… If you'll give me the car keys… I think… While you visit with your family… I'll go check on… mine," Lily suggested, her voice fading to a whisper when she saw the look on his face. He seemed so... Fearful? Anxious? Was he really dreading the talk with his father that badly?

Johnny, relaxing his tense facial muscles, dug into his pants pocket, withdrawing the keyring. "When we leave here… We'll… head that way," he managed to say, his voice sounding a little more confident.

Lily curled her hair behind her ear, accepting the keys from him. "Please don't rush." She wanted their reunion to be perfect, not cut short by the misadventures of her own family situation. She knew that Johnny needed this time alone with his parents. The talk was going to go better than he suspected, and she knew it. She pointed down Broad Street. "Slim said the hospital was down that way, right?"

"Yea."

"Son?" Roddy waved his hand in the direction of the bridge, grateful when Johnny gave a brief smile to his mother and to Lily, then turned in the direction of the looming structure.

Sharon reached over to Lily, pulling her into a hug as the two of them watched the Gage men turn, walking side by side along the worn sidewalk along the side of the bridge. "Thank you, Lily… Um, who's in the hospital? Not your mother, I hope."

Lily gave a wistful smile. "No… it's kind of a long story, but… it's my paternal grandmother and my maternal grandfather."

"Oh my, I hope they'll be okay," Sharon replied, unable to take her eyes off her son and husband as they walked away. "Kind of odd that they're both there together."

Lily released a nervous chuckle. "Unusual… that describes my family, alright." She took a hesitant step backwards, smiling awkwardly, her eyes watching Johnny and Roddy walking away from them. "I guess I'll see you folks a little later."

"Yes…," Sharon replied absently, watching her two favorite men walking across the famous bridge.

"I'm glad you all made it here safely. I really…" She pointed over her shoulder, in the direction of the hospital.

Sharon turned briefly at the sound of Lily's voice. "I understand. Go take care of your family."

"Thank you… We'll talk soon, okay?" she called out over her shoulder, heading in the direction of their rental car.

"Drive safely and let your family know we're thinking about them," Sharon replied, taking a step toward the empty park bench.

Sharon sat down, pulling Johnny's sports coat into her lap, folding it neatly. She turned sideways, propping her right elbow on the back of the bench, continuing to caress the brown material as she watched for Johnny and Roddy to return to her. She ran her fingers across the material. She could smell the faint scent of Johnny's cologne that was left clinging to it. "Oh, my sweet baby boy… You have no idea how much we love you, do you?"

In the distance, she heard the screeching sound of a familiar bird of prey and a silent tear seared her cheek as it left a hot wet path down her face. "Thank you," she whispered, knowing that somehow the eagle flying over the river could hear her expression of gratitude. She knew that Roddy would find the right words to reach their son, to heal his broken heart. "Thank you for being his spirit guide."