(I would like to thank MissBoePeep for editing this for me, she did a great job and at such short notice. Also thanks to some friends of mine who read this and with there helpful hints pointed me in the right direction. I hope all who read this enjoy it, if you do. Then I've done my job.)
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It was a typical wet and misty morning when I pulled up to the gates of the cemetery. I had hated this town when I left and hated it just as much now, and if I sat for any length of time and actually thought about what I was doing back here I would have done a nice neat one eighty and headed back home. That thought made me smile.
Hard to believe that I once called this town home and up until twenty-four hours ago it was still little more than a distant memory and getting more distant by the day. That fateful day brought it all back to me with the sound of my secretary buzzing me, seconds later she walked in with the morning mail.
"Good morning Jordan, the usual mail. And...!"
I sensed the hesitancy in her voice and immediately looked up, Peggy had a brown envelope in her other hand still sealed and kept separate. The un-opened letter was placed in front of me and the morning mail put to one side of the desk. Peggy never asked and I loved her for it, she had been with me almost since I started my company. She was the sister of a co-worker who needed a part time job to make ends meet.
At first Peggy wasn't too comfortable with such a young boss and who could blame her, when she came into my office for an interview and a twenty one year old was sat in the big chair I'm sure I would have felt the same way. But true to her nature she took it in her stride and within weeks she was running the office like clockwork. Leaving me to do the work I had always wanted to do without getting too bogged down with office details. Everything went through Peggy and absolutely nothing ever left the office in the way of gossip or information. She was my rock and I totally trusted her and had done for the last five years.
By the time I had looked up from the envelope Peggy was already at the door.
"I'll hold your calls and clear your schedule for the next hour, if you need more time, buzz me and I will make some calls." She told me.
Nodding at Peggy, she smiled and closed the door. I looked long and hard at the envelope again. So far there had been fifteen of these in five years. Peggy had opened the first so knew its content. Since then she had shared my secret and I was truly grateful I had her trust.
The first letter was a DNA report, a photo and a note from my Mom stating that the child was mine; she had made sure of that before she sent the report on to me. Now it was time to do the honorable thing. Now every Birthday, Christmas and special occasion I get another envelope with a couple of pictures and a brief letter from Mom on how Brenna was doing. For my part I wired Mom money on a monthly basis and made sure she got anything else she asked for. Mom never told me to come home, she knew that would never happen - or so I thought. Looking closely at the envelope it was the handwriting that held my attention - this was different.
Inside was a clipping from my hometown's local newspaper of Moms obituary. Mom had a short fight with heart disease before finally succumbing to a fatal heart attack; there was also a change of bank details. I'm sure Peggy heard me throw up and I was so grateful she didn't come in. When I managed to recover my composure long enough I then burst into tears. I was a total mess, covered in sick, tears fell from my face and I simply stared at the corner of the room, desperately wishing it were all some twisted joke. But knowing it wouldn't be. It took me some time to clean myself up, gather my thoughts and buzz Peggy; within seconds she came in and sat down, her pad in her hand.
"I've phoned Tony he will be down stairs in five minutes to take you home, get packed and I will send Tony the flight details when I have them confirmed. There will be a rental car waiting for you at the airport, I've already booked you into a hotel ten miles from home."
Peggy was never my right hand - she was both of them. I thanked her and headed for the door. Peggy would take care of everything in the office, anything she couldn't I would get a call about and I didn't expect many of those. Tony was already waiting when I got to the doors, two hours later I was at the airport, four hours later I was signing for my rental car. Even on the flight and the drive to the hotel I had mentally gone over everything Mom had sent me, not once did she mention in any of the letters she was ill, they were all about Brenna and only Brenna.
I was still distracted when I booked into the hotel, simply having room service and asking for an early wake up call and now I sat looking at the gates of the cemetery, an early morning mist drifted across the entrance, parting as I eventually drove in. It took me a few minutes to gather my bearings and find the family plot and of course, the newest member of that plot. The songs of the birds in the trees almost wanting to add peace to my soul, my hands seemed to shake so much as I tried to open the wrapping of the flowers, even buying these flowers outside town to make sure no one recognized me, the frustration of so many years welled up inside and my eyes misted.
Mom knew all the things I wanted to say, some I said again as I knelt by her grave and some were simply left unspoken. It was the sudden silence that struck me, only then did I hear the crunching of gravel being trodden underfoot and looked toward the path, the morning mist still making it difficult to see much further than a few yards. Spotting the silhouette through the mist first and as the mist finally parted, allowing me to see her again. The woman I left this town for six years ago vowing to Mom that I would never darken its streets again.
"Hello JD."
I raised myself from Moms plot, casting one more glance at Moms grave and mentally wishing her the peace she should have had when she was alive, then looking once more at the mother of my child.
"Hello Mary Beth, how did you know I was here?"
Mary Beth smiled and took a step closer, looked down at Moms grave and the flowers I had placed there.
"Oh they're lovely JD, your Mom would have loved those." She stated.
She then looked back at me. Her hands went to my collar and straightened it, before she placed her hands back into her coat pockets. I suppose I should have expected that action, she was always straightening bits of me and occasionally calling me scruffy, much to my Moms amusement.
"It wasn't difficult JD, I knew you would come back when I sent you the envelope, it does help that Jodie works at the Millers Inn hotel of course. She recognized you when you signed in and phoned me."
Now it suddenly dawned on me where I had seen the receptionist before. I suppose with the rush to get here and thinking about Mom I had noticed, but didn't recognize her. Mary Beth and Jodie were part of the same group at school. It seems I was caught, shrugging my shoulders and looking down at Moms grave one final time I said my farewells to her and walked back to the car. Mary Beth following alongside and, in silence sat in the passenger seat when I unlocked the door.
"Where do you want dropping off Mary Beth?"
Turning to face me, a small smile danced across her lips, I was starting to think she had been planning this since Mom's death.
