Page 29 of Ash

When she spoke, it was with an almost gasp of air. "I didn't know about you until near the end. Your grandfather was Betty's brother. He left here when he was young, nearly nineteen or so. Frustrated at the quiet life we led here, he ran off to bigger and better things."

Suzannah frowned at the words. They didn't sound genuine in Hetty's voice.

Ah, she nodded inwardly, they were likely the words that she'd heard, not what she believed.

"He turned his back on Betty and his family. Once he left, he never came back for a visit. Betty never even received a letter from the man or a phone call." Hetty's brow furrowed above her nose and then she shook her head. "At least that's what I believed."

Suzannah felt Hetty begin to sag with sadness or maybe exhaustion.

Either reason was heartbreaking.

"At least that was what she told me."

Suzannah gently walked her toward one of the cafe tables in the front of the bakery.

As she did, the man who'd been standing nearby moved. Before she could ask for help, he'd pulled out a chair for her to sit Hetty in.

She turned to smile at him and offer her thanks, but he was already moving again, moving another chair, he stood there holding it out for her.

Suzannah felt her smile deepen as she took the seat he offered.

James disappeared from view, but her focus and concern was fixed on Hetty.

"One night," Hetty reached out her hands and covered one of Suzannah's with a gentle touch, "when Betty was barely holding on, I went to check on her and found her sleeping. At first," Hetty swallowed softly, "she was so still that I thought she might have passed, but then I heard a soft whimper of sound from my dear friend. She had a letter clutched against her chest. A letter that looked as though she'd read it a thousand times.

"As she slept on, I wondered what news could cause her to be so sad, so I took the letter from her grasp and read it by the light beside her bed."

Suzannah kept her gaze fixed on the other woman's face.

She felt like she was being given a gift of the past.

She was hearing a story about her life that she had never heard of before. Filling in the empty space of her life.

"It was a letter from her brother. He told her that he'd married and had a daughter. And she had a child, but none of them would ever come to Mystic Mountain if he had anything to say about it." Hetty's hands clutched Suzannah's hand even tighter. "She knew that you were out there but lived every day knowing that you were lost to her."

Suzannah lifted her free hand and placed it against her chest, right over her heart. She pressed her palm against her sternum trying to ease the ache she felt.

She'd lived for years thinking that she was alone in the world.

Her mother had turned her back on her as soon as she'd become an adult. Walked away and never returned.

"I gave that letter to James," Hetty gave her a hopeful smile. "I asked him to try and find you. We were going to try and bring you here before-"

Hetty cried and Suzannah wanted to calm her, but her whole body hurt. She put her handkerchief into Hetty's hand, but that's all that she could manage.

James pulled a chair up beside her and gave Suzannah a sad, melancholy smile. "I am sorry, dear. I can work quickly, but sometimes even a crafty man like myself can't pull everything together in time." His eyes, from what she could see behind his round glasses, were saddened. "It was interesting that I found you in Sylvan City of all places."

Suzannah wasn't sure what he was trying to say. Her mind, usually sharp and quick to put puzzles together, was having some difficulty focusing on the attorney's train of thought.

He looked up and her gaze followed his to the nearly silent man who was standing nearby.

James talked to him, nodding along with his words. "Have you heard about Sylvan City, Ash?"

"Ash." She repeated the name before she could think better of it.

And Ash looked at her as if he was stunned to hear her voice.

"Sorry," she murmured an apology as his gaze fixed on her face.

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