Page 17 of One More Weekend

I felt my chest tighten, the words making my heart skip a beat. “You called my mom?”

“Yep, I wanted to surprise you so I didn’t ask you. Is that okay?” Sy’s face turned from excitement to concern, worried that she may have accidentally crossed a line despite the fact that my mom adored Sy.

She’d been bugging me for years to explore what we had beyond friendship and barely took no for an answer. The only threat that had called her off was the risk that Sy wouldn’t be around as my friend either if we didn’t work out.

Nodding, I met Sy’s summer forest eyes. “Of course it is. I just didn’t mean for you to take on a whole project.”

Sy pulled out my chair and then sat in hers. “You didn’t, I wanted to. Now, let’s get to work.”

My ass met the desk chair’s faux leather seat as I slid into place. Drifting out the window, my eyes looked at the view just off to the left of our screen. We had a perfect view of the city skyline and the water ebbing and flowing into the harbor.

“Okay, so Eileen told me that your great-grandmother came over in 1919. So just five years before it reduced capacity.” Sy was already clicking into the database, eager to get to work.

It was like taking a time machine back to our university library, watching her eyes scan the screen for any useful information. Sy had always been an information hoarder, taking in every detail and storing it for god knew what.

Leaning forward, I planted my elbows on the Formica tabletop as I watched documents pop up on the screen. Dozens of charters appeared, scanned lines of documents slightly blurred from wear.

We worked together to find an alphabetized list from the correct year, starting in the section with names similar to her maiden name before she became a Chambers. Likely, she would have changed her name from the original Italian to something more “American.”

It wasn’t long before we found a list of women with her first name, Filomena.

Sy was deep in the weeds of every detail, comparing ages to my great-grandmother’s likely birth year. But my eyes kept moving from the screen to her face, watching her dedication to making this special just for me.

Eventually, Sy snapped her fingers together. “Got it.” She clicked on a hyperlinked document, a large charter appearing on the screen. There, every detail about my Nana was kept; the ship she arrived on, the date, the bags she had with her, and her little brother. The officers noted she had arrived without a guardian, that she swore an uncle was waiting for her in the city – an obvious lie.

But she was just old enough to get a job and find a cheap tenement to rent and keep her kid brother safe.

Shooting up from the desk, Sy scribbled down a number on the sheet of paper next to the keyboard and held out her hand again. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Where?” I asked as I gripped her palm and lifted myself from the old chair.

Before she could answer, Sy took off toward the counter. “Hi again, could we check out document G5231951, please?”

“Of course, just a moment.” The librarian typed away, pulling up the archival database and disappearing into the stacks behind her. Before long, she returned with a manilla folder. She passed it over. “If you want a scanned copy emailed to you, let me know.”

“Oh, we definitely want that.” Sy smirked without even opening the folder.

Guiding me over to a table just a few feet away, Sy flipped the switch on the side. The table illuminated into a light box.

“Wow.” I managed, caught in the whirlwind of the moment.

Sy held out the folder, gesturing for me to take it from her hands.

My throat tightened, suddenly nervous about what horrors could await me inside. But I knew Sy was here, a warmth rushing over my body as I took the folder into my hand.

Opening it, my jaw dropped as the laminated photo inside became clear to me. I set it down on the light box, every detail coming to life. There, in plain black and white, was my great-grandmother and her little brother. They stood on the docks of Ellis Island, two small bags in Filomena’s hands.

Even in a century-old photo, her eyes shone. Despite her long journey and the fear of being alone, being interrogated by adults as a mere child, she was ready for the road ahead.

Shivers went down my spine. I’d heard stories of what she faced here, my mom never wanting to talk in detail about the pain. But it was in my bones, something deep in my being understood.

“She’s so little.” It was the only thing I could get out.

Sy nodded and leaned toward the table. “Just a kid.” Silence passed over us as a few people moved down the hall outside the records area. “You have her cheeks.”

I felt a lump grow in my throat as I moved closer to get a look at her face. “Yeah, I kind of do.”

“I’m going to go get a copy.” Sy rubbed my back before walking back to the desk.

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