Page 64 of Always on My Mind

Ever since discovering their past lives, they had discussed investigating who the women were. They had some basic information, such as first names and general locations, but they both wanted more. Tessa wasn’t sure it would come as easily as it had to Billie and Ethan and Jordan and Laci. They were in direct connection with the places and things in their past lives. Billie and Ethan had Henry and Maggie’s photographs and letters. Laci and Jordan had been at the estate where Caroline and Samuel had lived. Laci’s parents owned the place. The only thing Tessa and Jamie had was the book of Emily Dickinson poems. A first edition, published by the author’s sister. It was incredibly valuable. Tessa knew there was more out there if they only knew where to look.

A side effect of reuniting with your ex, though, was the desire to spend every moment they had wrapped up in each other. Especially with their busy schedules. Jamie was working extra hours at training, and Tessa had articles to catch up on since falling behind with the work for Stanmore. When they had a moment, neither were compelled to take a trip to the library or spend hours on the computer doing research.

Mostly, they made love and talked. It was bliss.

“Do you think we’ll find anything interesting?” Jamie asked. “Maybe something that triggers more memories?”

“I hope so,” Tessa said. “I don’t want to stop looking into it just because we’ve found each other again.”

“Me neither. I think the more we understand our past, the better we’ll be able to navigate the future.” Jamie reached out and toyed with the sleeve of Tessa’s jumper. “Is it like that for the others?”

“Billie and Ethan have their things framed from their past life,” Tessa said, enjoying the tingles Jamie’s touch sent up herarm. “Jordan and Laci have some artwork I think. They were all able to find out how their people lived and died. But neither of their pasts were as far back as ours.”

“True.”

“If there’s anything I’ve learned in the vintage community, it’s that the older the thing or the information, the harder it is to track it down.”

Jamie heaved a sigh. “That’s not exactly encouraging.”

“Let’s not think about it for now,” Tessa suggested and lowered her lips to Jamie’s. “Why don’t you show me how much you’ll miss me before I go?”

Jamie smirked. With one hand, she shoved Tessa’s suitcase off the bed. With the other, she flipped them to put Tessa on her back. Tessa yelped with surprise, but was quickly silenced by Jamie’s insistent kiss.

Tessa often didn’t realize how much she missed home until she was back in Derry. Especially at Christmas. Wreaths and trees in every window, mistletoe and holly hanging in doorways, the streets lit up with fairy lights. The best part was the massive tree in the town center. With a dusting of snowfall, it could have been a picture in a magazine.

She stopped to admire it for a long moment on her way to the library. Cold air filled her lungs on a deep inhale, and vapor appeared from her mouth on the exhale. She pushed her glasses up on her face before she continued walking.

The library was of course quiet when she arrived. The heat brought some feeling back to her numb fingers, which she rubbed together to speed up the process. A lone librarian sat behind the desk. She was a middle-aged woman, about in her forties if Tessa could venture a guess, with coppery red hair rolled into a bun at the nape of her neck. Her thick glasses sat low over her nose as she read the book lying flat in front of her. They were attached to a beaded chain around her neck. She pulled her red cardigan—adorned with a wreath brooch—tighter around her when the cold air from the doorway reached her. She looked up with round, hazel eyes.

“What about you, love?” she asked politely. She stuck a pencil between the pages to mark her place. “Looking for anything in particular?”

“Aye, I’m looking for some records that might be in the archives,” Tessa said.

“What sort of records?”

Tessa shifted on her feet. She wasn’t sure where to begin. She knew she wanted to start with Rosie, the most recent of the past lives, because it would be easiest to find something on her. However, she only knew that Rosie was Irish. Likely Northern Irish from her accent, but was it a leap to assume she was also from Derry?

She cleared her throat. She had to try if she wanted to know.

“About nurses from the First World War,” she said. “I’m looking for a record of someone who served.”

“A relative, perhaps?”

Tessa paused for a beat. “Aye, something like that.”

“Let’s see what we have in the wee system here.”

The librarian typed away on the computer, and Tessa got closer to the desk. Beneath the wreath brooch was a name tag which told her the librarian’s name was Caoimhe. Caoimhe’s eyes scanned over the screen. Tessa toyed with her scarf.

“There were many Irish nurses serving at the time,” Caoimhe said. “Have you got a name, perhaps?”

“Only a first name. Rosie, so it is.”

“Rosie was her given name or a nickname for Rose?”

Tessa blinked. She hadn’t thought of that. “Could we try both?”

“Oh, aye. One moment.”

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