Susan followed her family into the house through the cave, feeling as though her entire being had gone numb. She was short on sleep to the point where she couldn't think. She had no appetite but needed to eat. She felt completely overwhelmed about being home where there were no reporters outside to fight. And yet, as she stepped through the threshold from the cave into the library, it was a struggle just to get herself to move. She couldn't feel anything inside or out ... an effect she assumed was an emotional response to losing her dad less than an hour before. And so, she more or less collapsed into one of their chairs in the library as soon as she could after stepping inside the house.
"It may not be," Greg told her when she told him how she felt after he got home. "This has been a very busy week, culminating in an event which marks the end not only of our struggle to get home, but also to share with others what happened."
Susan nodded. "With everyone except my dad," she told him. "He'll never know ... he'll never understand."
"And maybe he doesn't need to in order for it to be okay," Greg soothed. "The Lord will take care of him, Susan."
"I know. Actually, I think he does know. He said something to me about it before we left ... and I wondered at the time how he could. But I feel like now, maybe he does," Susan said.
Greg cocked his head, feeling intrigued but he didn't ask what she might mean. Whatever Mr. Abernathy shared with her was confidential, shared between the two of them in private. It was important enough to the old man for him to linger on, waiting for Susan before he felt ready to leave. Greg knew it wasn't his place to pry into something like that.
"I think death is always harder for those left behind than it is for those going," Susan added when he didn't say anything.
"Probably," Greg agreed.
"Do you want something to eat, Susie?" Mrs. Abernathy asked.
"No thanks. I think I just want to sit here for a while," Susan said.
"Then maybe I can put your leftovers into the refrigerator for you," Mrs. Abernathy offered.
"Thank you," Susan told her. She handed the little white box containing her leftovers from the night before to her mother and sunk deeper into her favorite chair, leaning her head back against it. Melody crawled into her lap, snuggling up against Susan.
"Momma," she said.
"I'm home," Susan told her.
"Okay," Melody told her and promptly fell asleep. Susan did too, so the entire family decided to let them be for a while.
An hour passed. Greg, Zack, Matt, and Jessie spent the time unloading their luggage from the car and putting things away, while Mrs. Abernathy and Stephen made phone calls, sharing the news of Mr. Abernathy's passing with the rest of the family. Mrs. Abernathy even called the funeral home to ensure they had the information they needed and to talk about funeral arrangements.
"Do you need any help, Mildred?" Greg offered after he finished with the luggage as they sat in the living room discussing what more needed to be done.
"No, thank you Greg. I know this should be incredibly difficult, but it really isn't. As you know, Dick hasn't been well for quite some time. So, as Stephen said, last year, after Dick recovered from his first major stroke, he and I made it a point to make our final arrangements in advance. Everything's been decided and paid for. All I had to do is to call them to let them know where he is, which I've done. We need to set the date for his funeral, and of course to order the flowers, but that's all we have to do. I do need to take his suit to the funeral home for him to be buried in... but I can do that tomorrow," Mrs. Abernathy said.
"Do we need to go home to get it, Mom?" Stephen asked.
"No, sweetheart. We had it with us in anticipation of attending the premiere tomorrow. I suppose that is fortunate. This way I don't have to go home before the funeral. I would like to talk to the rest of the family about it first, but I was thinking of Monday for the service," Mrs. Abernathy said.
"Not over the weekend?" Greg asked.
"I don't think so. You and Susan, and much of the family are busy with your movie tomorrow, and I know Dick didn't want to interfere with that. Also, I don't think Sundays are good days for funerals in general," Mrs. Abernathy said. "Our minister wouldn't be available and I know Dick would prefer it if he could do the service."
"Have you called him?" Greg wondered.
"I've left a message," Mrs. Abernathy told him. "I expect a call back. If he can't do it, perhaps I can ask Pastor Klein ... I think he's still here."
"Susan did introduce me to him a couple of years ago," Greg told her.
"Do you need to go home, Mom?" Stephen asked. "I know you said you have Dad's suit here, but is there anything else you need to go home for? Won't the funeral be there?"
"No Stephen. After living in this area for more than thirty years, your father and I decided we'd like to be buried here," Mrs. Abernathy said. "Our cemetery plots are near the church we used to go to."
"Why?" Stephen asked.
"Because, we're from here. We lived most of our adult lives here ... and Susan is here. I know you live near our retirement home, but even you come here occasionally to visit friends. You grew up here," she reminded him.
"You want Dad to be here, even though this is not where you live?" Stephen questioned.
"It will only be for a little while," Mrs. Abernathy insisted. "Then I will be with him. It will be okay, Stephen."
Stephen was about to protest more when Mrs. Abernathy's phone rang. It was the minister, calling her back. Greg got up and left the room, intending to give her some more privacy during her call.
c
Susan's eyes fluttered open when Melody stirred on her lap. She was moving in response to Greg's approach when he came down the library stairs. His intent was to check on them, and he saw Melody struggling to sit up on Susan's lap, even though Susan was still mostly asleep.
"Papa, up," Melody said, stretching her arms up toward Greg.
"Did you wake Mama up?" Greg asked her.
"No. Momma sleeping," Melody told him.
"No, I'm not," Susan protested as she forced herself awake.
"Do you need a nap?" Greg asked as he lifted Melody from her lap, watching as his wife struggle to open her eyes.
"I just had a nap," Susan told him. "I should probably be up."
"You don't have to, Susan. I know you didn't sleep very much last night ... or on the plane."
"No ... I need to be up," Susan insisted. "I'm sure I need to help Mom. Besides, I won't be able to sleep tonight if I sleep anymore now, and I need to. Besides, Dad's okay. The Lord will take care of him. I just needed to be reminded of that."
Greg arched his brow, guessing she was waking from a dream and wondering what precisely she dreamt about.
"All okay, Momma," Melody said earnestly from where she still sat on Susan's lap.
Susan studied her daughter. "You really do know that, don't you?" she asked.
Melody grinned. "Grrpa home," she said.
Susan smiled too. "I know," she assured her. "Someday, we will be too."
"Okay," Melody agreed.
"Is Mom okay?" Susan asked her husband.
"She seems to be. She's in the living room, making funeral arrangements," Greg told her.
"From here?" Susan said in surprise.
"It sounds like she and your father made most of their arrangements some time ago. All she has left to do is to set the date and time for the funeral, and contact the minister and the funeral home to let them know. She's doing that now," Greg said.
Susan nodded, forced back a yawn and when Greg took Melody from her lap, she stood up from her chair. She turned slightly as she stretched, and her eye caught sight of their box, looking slightly different from usual, up on the top shelf. Susan walked over to examine it, studying it where it lay with the little drawer partly open. She didn't disturb it, only stood considering it as she forced herself awake. In her mind, dealing with their box could wait for another day. She already had far too much to think about today.
Susan followed her husband back into the living room in time to hear Mrs. Abernathy say that Mr. Abernathy's funeral was set for 2:00 pm on Monday.
"That's done," Mrs. Abernathy said to no one in particular as she closed her cell phone. "Your father would be proud of me."
"He is Mom," Susan said with a certainty in her voice that surprised even Greg. "What more is there to do?"
"Call people back, let them know, and make plans for the wake," Mrs. Abernathy said. "Is it alright with you if we have that here? I know we'll be having here Thanksgiving on Thursday, but would it be too much to have people here for the wake on Monday too?"
"That's fine. It doesn't matter that Thanksgiving is the same week ... not in the least," Susan told her. "We can hold it in the cottage if you'd like. That can accommodate a lot of people and we can set up tables everywhere."
"That should work," Mrs. Abernathy agreed.
"Can we help you make your calls?" Stephen asked his mother from where he too hovered nearby.
"Do you have your address book?" Susan wondered.
"In my suitcase," Mrs. Abernathy told her.
"Maybe we can divide it up and each of us call some people to let them know," Susan suggested.
"That's a good idea, Susan," Stephen said.
"I'll go get it," Mrs. Abernathy told her children, suddenly looking tired.
Susan watched her mother go in concern.
"Are you feeling better, Susie?" her brother asked.
"Some. I think I need some Tylenol though," Susan said.
"I can get you some," Greg offered.
"Thank you," Susan said. "Where is everybody?" Susan asked after Greg left the room.
"The kids are all in Matt and Zackary's rooms. Jenny is with them. I don't think any of them quite know what to do," Stephen shared.
"Like we do?" Susan asked her brother.
Stephen shrugged. "We help Mom. That's about all we can do."
"It's about all anyone can do," Greg told them as he returned with the Tylenol and a glass of water in his hand for Susan. "It was the same when my father died."
"I suppose it always is," Susan said still looking around. "Is Rosemary is in class?" she wondered, still trying to catch up with what had been going on here at home, and remembering Matt said something about it at the hospital.
"I don't think so. I think Mom said she's around here somewhere," Stephen said.
"What about Bobby ... Mr. Simms?" Susan asked.
"Jessie's great-grandfather?" Stephen asked. Susan nodded. "Does he live with you now?"
"Not exactly, but he is here nearly half the time," Susan said.
"I think I see them down in the garden, Susan," Greg told her, looking out the window. "I suspect they're both just trying to stay out of the way."
Susan nodded but she didn't say anything. Mrs. Abernathy was coming back up the stairs.
Her address book was thankfully of a loose-leaf style, and so it was relatively simple to divide the pages between herself and her children, with Mrs. Abernathy noting in the margins who should be called. While they were all busy doing that, Greg called all his family again, giving them the news.
c
The hour grew late while Susan and her family made calls to more distant family and friends, spreading the news and giving them the information about the funeral and the wake. The children gradually came to find them. Jenny offered to help with dinner, and even Rosemary and Mr. Simms made their way to the living room, welcoming Greg and Susan home and offering to help.
"I suppose it is about that time," Susan commented to her mother. "We may not feel like eating, but everyone else probably does."
"Yes, of course, dear," Mrs. Abernathy said mildly. "I think I've done all I can do here."
She followed Susan and Jenny to the kitchen to help.
"Have you decided what you'd like to do about the movie tomorrow, Mildred?" Greg wondered as he and everyone else followed them, eager to help, but not quite sure what it was they should do.
"I know Dick would want me to go ... and I will see it, someday, but maybe not tomorrow. I don't think I'll be up to going with you to a fancy event, especially with the party afterwards, Greg. I'm sorry," Mrs. Abernathy said.
"Don't be," Greg told her. "Would you mind terribly though, if I gave your tickets to somebody else?"
"Not at all," Mrs. Abernathy said.
"Who did you have in mind?" Susan asked while she and her mother began to pull things from the refrigerator.
"Ruth and Reuben. Given the revelations we've had lately, I thought they might get more out of seeing our movie than anyone else I can think of," Greg said.
"I think that is a very good idea," Susan told him. "Have you asked them?"
"No. I was about to call them now to fill them in on the situation here and to make the offer, in the event they would like to go," Greg said.
"Let me know what they say," Susan said.
"I will," Greg promised and he disappeared up the stairs to the library to make the call and to make the arrangements necessary for them to go.
c
Dinner that night was leftovers, just as Mrs. Abernathy said it would be earlier in the day. They welcomed the Sabbath in over that, instead of the typical home cooked meal, but even Greg agreed that was for the best. Susan finally ate her steak dinner from the night before, reflecting that it probably would have been better when it was originally served.
Ruth and Reuben were delighted to receive Greg's last minute invitation, though they sent their condolences to Mrs. Abernathy when they learned the reason for it. After a brief series of calls back and forth between them, it was determined Ruth and Reuben would arrive as early as they could the next day. They would attend the west coast premiere for Greg's movie and stay for the funeral to support Susan. When they learned Greg and Susan still planned to hold the family's Thanksgiving dinner at their house, they also decided to stay through the coming week to help with the preparations for the holiday, since it was likewise clear the Abernathys would have their hands full for most of the week.
Once the arrangements were made, Greg went back to the kitchen to give Susan and her mother the news. He found them in the midst of their routine for cleaning up the kitchen after a meal. It was done on automatic by Susan and her mother, which was probably a good thing. It kept them both moving and prevented either of them from sitting down to think too much about the day.
Eventually however, bedtime came. On this particular evening, Susan made it a point to tuck each of her children into bed. Melody was first, then Jessie, then she went to say goodnight to Matt who was studying. Then finally, Susan went to say good night to Zack.
c
"Can I talk to you, Mom?" Zack asked when she sat down on the side of his bed.
"Sure," Susan said.
"I mean ... I'll understand if this isn't a good time because of Grandpa and stuff," Zack said.
"It's okay, Zack. It would probably help me to think of something else anyway," Susan told him. "What's on your mind?"
"The movie. Not all of it ... but one part of it ... well actually there were lots of parts of it I've been thinking about. But there is one part in particular I wanted to ask you about," Zack said.
"Yes?" Susan asked.
"You know that part when Jillian was swimming in the pool by the lava tube cave on the island and the scene sort of merged with a different one about a pond surrounded by willow trees in a European garden somewhere?" Zack asked.
"Yes," Susan said.
"Was the part with the willow trees and the pond supposed to be a dream?" he asked.
"Yes, it was, Zack. It's a place Greg and I dream of from time to time ...or we used to. I don't think I've had that particular dream for a while now. But we did once," Susan said. "Is that what you want to know?"
"Sort of ... I mean no ... I mean ... Mom, is it weird that I dream about a place like that too?" Zack asked.
"You do?" Susan asked in surprise.
"Yeah, I do ... except there are different people there when I dream about it ... but the place ... the one in my dream looks a lot like that," Zack said.
"Who are the people who are there for you?" Susan asked.
"Instead of three girls, swimming together in the garden pool, for me I'm with my cousin, who's a girl. She's older and we're swimming there together with our aunt watching us, when these other kids come ... a brother and a sister. I don't remember why they were there, but they were and that's the first time we saw them. Then later, we are by ourselves ... without our aunt. We are older, and they're there too ... and it's ... well ..." Zack sighed. "We got to know them a lot better." Zack paused, hesitating while considering what he would say next. "I married her ... the girl. My cousin married the boy ... Mom, I know her ... the girl that was there ... at least I did. But I couldn't figure it out ... I didn't know what it was ... until now."
Susan blinked as she listened to what Zack was telling her. "You've been to that place?" she asked.
"Is a dream a memory?" Zack asked.
"Certain kinds of dreams are. If it's the kind of dream that was shown in the movie, then yes," Susan said.
"Then yeah ... I have," Zack said.
"You were there with your aunt at first?" she asked.
"Yes ... so was Marie ... my cousin, Marie ... they called her Little Marie sometimes, so she was not the girl in the painting. I think she was her mother, except she died. Was she the one who was swimming in the pond?" Zack asked.
"Yes," Susan said.
Zack nodded as he thought about that. "So my cousin, Marie, was sort of adopted by my mother ... I think the girl in the painting was Maman's sister. I don't know that for sure, but I think there was a different painting of her hanging in my grandfather's house," Zack said.
Susan nodded. "Go on."
"Then after my mother got married, she had me, and she raised us together ... only I didn't know Marie was my cousin at first, because she was older. I knew she was named after Mamans sister who died, but I didn't know why. I didn't find out Little Marie was my cousin and not my sister until just before Maman died. But we had another aunt ... she never married. She was younger and used to look after us sometimes. She's the one who used to take us swimming in the pond and told us about her older sister, Marie."
"What was your mother's name? Do you know?" Susan asked.
"Claire, I think," Zack said.
Susan nodded. "Marie's younger sister's name was Claire. She was only a year younger than me ... Marie, but she was already engaged when Marie died."
Zack cocked his head. "Did that happen after Brandon, I mean Albert, got stabbed with the sword?"
"Yes," Susan said. "His real name was Aaron."
Zack nodded. "Aaron and Marie ... yeah, that fits. I think my mom, Claire ... who would have been one of the girls swimming with Marie in the movie ... took Marie's baby in after she died. Except for the people who were visiting, we all lived in the same big house with the pond ... I don't know where they lived," Zack said. "But I think we used to see them at church sometimes."
Susan frowned slightly, chewing her lip for a moment or two as she listened to Zackary's story. Greg didn't actually include the fact Marie had a baby in the movie ... only that Aaron died as a result of their affair ... and yet, Zack seemed to know.
"So there are two Marie's in this story you are telling," Susan said.
"Yeah, I know," Zack said. "The mom and her daughter."
"There was only one in the movie," Susan reminded him.
"Yeah, I get that. But she had a baby ... didn't she?" Zack asked.
"What makes you think that?" Susan asked.
"The way she and Aaron were acting ... and cause her dad was so mad. I mean he killed the guy with a sword right in front of her. He had to have a reason for that," Zack said reasonably.
Susan hesitated then nodded. "It was one of the mistakes we made ... we could remember being married in a past life ... so we didn't wait."
"And your dad killed him because of it," Zack said.
"Because Marie was pregnant ... yes. You're right, she did have a baby, but Marie must have been ill or there was a problem after the baby was delivered. I think she died in a matter of days."
Zack nodded. "Yeah ... that's what I heard. So anyway, I've been dreaming about that ... and Corinne."
"Who?"
"I think she must have been Kelly in that life," Zack said. "She was one of the people who kept visiting us ... her and her brother, Lambert. They were the ones who went swimming with us in the pond."
Susan cocked her head. "And Little Marie ... Was she Jessie?"
"Yes," Zack said. "It seems like I'm usually related to her."
"Usually, we're all related," Susan said.
"Yeah, I know. But not always in the way I thought. I'm remembering different things since I met Kelly last summer. I just didn't know where it all fit before. I could only remember the fire ... but now that we've met Bert, that part is sort of coming together too," Zack said.
"How do you mean?" Susan asked.
"He was Lambert ... then Gilbert ... now just Bert. It all fits," Zack explained.
"Was he ever Egbert?" Susan wondered.
Zack shrugged. "He might have been ... I'm not sure I ever knew him by that name. Why do you want to know?"
"Because Jessie refers to him as 'Egg'. We thought it might have been short for something in a past life," Susan explained.
"I suppose that makes sense," Zack said. "Thanks for explaining it to me, Mom."
"I'm not sure I've told you anything you didn't already know," Susan said.
"No ... but you helped me figure out where that part fits. It makes more sense now, so thanks."
"You're welcome, Zack. I'm glad it helped. You know though, knowing this, might just cause you to remember more," Susan cautioned.
Zack shrugged again. "That's okay. I figure the more I can remember now, the better off we'll be in the long run."
"That could be," Susan conceded. "Goodnight. See you in the morning."
"Good night," Zack said.
Susan smiled, kissed him on the cheek, and left his room, closing the door behind from the hall.
c
"Are you ready to turn in?" Greg asked when Susan emerged from Zack's room.
"Almost. Where's Mom?"
"She went to her room ... presumably to go to bed," Greg said.
Susan nodded. "I don't envy her tonight."
"Neither do I," Greg said. "I've been there far too many times myself."
"Me too," Susan said and she wound her arm around her husband's waist as they walked together towards their room.
"Was Zack talking to you about the movie?" Greg asked.
"Yes. I'm glad he did. It's given me something else to think about," Susan said.
"What did he say?"
"He recognized the setting from one of the dream sequences you included," Susan said.
"The cottage?" Greg guessed.
"No, the pond," Susan told him.
"He wasn't there, Susan," Greg told her. "We didn't have Zack in that life ... you didn't even have Marie until after I was gone ... and I purposely didn't include that in the movie."
"I know ... and you're right, we didn't ... but apparently my sister ... the same one who took in Little Marie after my death ... Marie's death ... did," Susan said.
"She did?" Greg asked in surprise.
"There were three girls swimming in the pond when Aaron was watching that day," Susan reminded him. "Marie had sisters ... two of them. I remember my sister Claire was only a year younger than me. I know that makes a big difference during one's teenage years, but it didn't later. She grew up eventually, got married and had a family ... I didn't."
"Claire adopted our daughter?" Greg guessed, surprise evident in his voice.
"She raised her as her own child, together with her son. I think she got married sometime after Aaron died, but before Little Marie was born," Susan supplied.
"And she would have known her history because she was there," Greg recalled. "I remember her watching while I painted your portrait."
"Do you?" Susan asked in surprise.
"I do, because I also painted one of her and your younger sister too. I was hired to do that for all the family," Greg reminded her.
Susan nodded. "I don't suppose I remember that. I tend to remember Aaron as the assistant to our gardener. I know he painted, but I didn't remember Father hired him to paint portraits of all of us."
"He was very proud of his family," Greg remarked. "I am not surprised that Claire took Little Marie in ... I am surprised to be learning of it through Zack though. It never occurred to me that he had lives that were remotely connected with us we weren't aware of before."
"It didn't to me either," Susan said. "But in retrospect ... maybe it should have. The only lives of his we know about were very short."
"We know Jessie has had a number of lives where she lived to be an adult ... she did in most of hers, I suspect," Greg said. "You are right. We shouldn't be surprised that the Almighty found a way to also do that for Zack. Did he give you any hint what his name was in that life?"
"No," Susan said.
"Does he remember any life aside from that with the pond?" Greg asked.
"Yes and no. It sounds like he's met Bert during several of his incarnations before," Susan said. "He says he was called Lambert when he married Little Marie. He also remembers the name Gilbert being associated with him."
"We know that name too, Susan," Greg reminded her. "Gilbert McFinley married Eleanor."
Susan stopped in her tracks. "I knew that ... but I didn't make the connection when Zack was talking about it."
"Did you know Zack in that life?" Greg wondered.
"I don't think so," Susan said with a frown. "I've gotten so used to thinking of him as my son, it never occurred to me he might have been born to somebody else."
"Perhaps he was born to one of Penelope's siblings?" Greg suggested. "She did have several of them. And if his life follows a pattern, that may be what connects them."
Susan nodded. "I know she did. As Penelope, I also had a younger sister ... but I'm too tired to think about it anymore tonight. Can we go to bed?"
"That is a very good idea. We are home, Susan. It is time to rest."
"That sounds like what Melody said to Dad just before he died," Susan reminded him.
"Part of her message, do you think?" Greg asked.
"Maybe," Susan said. "I think I need to pray about it."
"That is also a very good idea," Greg said, and he escorted his wife to their bedroom to get ready for bed and to say her prayers.
c