“Oh, yeah.” Julep glanced at each Glynn Girl as if asking for help.
Tara picked the artwork off the floor and passed it back to Luella. “But if you guys are going to break for lunch, I think I’ll go for a bike ride before it gets too warm.”
The Glynn Girls all spoke at the same time:
“Good idea.” Sue Beth nodded.
“Nice plan.” Dell gave a thumbs-up.
“Yeah.” Luella smiled at her.
“Okay…” Tara removed her gloves, studying them. She opened her mouth as if to say something more but just shrugged. “See you in half an hour or so.” Then she walked out of the room.
Luella remained at the door of the painting room until she heard Tara leave the house, and then she inched the art room door closed and joined her friends in the center of the room.
The Glynn Girls stared at one another, speechless.
Luella’s mind spun. It couldn’t be. Impossible. Siobhan and Tara, one and the same? This was like a twist in one of her ghost stories. But what else could possibly explain Tara knowing about the snow-cone incident?
Julep took a deep breath, looking at the ceiling, let it out slowly, and then finally broke the stunned silence. “Okay. We need to go over the facts. Surely there’s a logical explanation. People dream things all the time. How many tens of thousands of people do you think have dreamed of a snow-cone cart and begging for money to buy a cone?” She pushed her sleeves back again. “But whatever is going on, we need to figure it out and plan our next steps.”
Sue Beth raised a hand. “What exactly do we remember about the snow-cone incident? Are we sure the stories are the same? It’s not like Gavin’s the only kid to get a cherry slushy after getting overheated. And Siobhan couldn’t have been the only little girl to help another kid out of a car.”
“Right!” Despite Dell’s declaration her voice wavered. “I mean Tara being Siobhan would be crazy. Wouldn’t it?”
Luella set the picture on a bookshelf. “I think the most telling part was that she saved the boy from a hot room by rolling down a window to escape. Good thing the car didn’t have automated windows ’cause Cassidy had locked the car and taken the keys.”
“Yeah.” Sue Beth snatched the hair clip from her head and pinned up her hair again. “Clearly Tara has no idea she was in a car. I’m a little foggy on the details, perhaps because it happened twenty-five years ago. Can someone refresh my memory about whose car the kids escaped from?”
“I can.” Julep nodded. “I’d just had my third miscarriage—the last one before Mitch and I gave up on giving Gavin a sibling. I needed to get to the hospital because the pain was so bad. I thought maybe it was an ectopic pregnancy.” Julep’s face creased. “Mitch was on a jobsite. As a carpenter he was often an hour or two away from home. He headed home as soon as I reached him. Luella and Sapphira were out of state. Sue Beth, you were laid up sick with the flu, which is probably why the details didn’t stick with you. Dell dropped everything to take me to the hospital, but we had to find someone to stay with Gavin. I could see Siobhan in this very backyard playing. I called Cassidy, and she was willing to keep him. I…I thought Gavin would be fine until Mitch could get back in town.”
Luella brushed her hand down Julep’s arm. “It was a reasonable thing to think.”
Julep stared out the window. “While Dell rushed to my house to pick me up, Cassidy walked over to my home. I gave her cash and the keys to my old car so she could buy lunch and dinner for Gavin, Siobhan, and herself. Sometime after Dell drove me to the hospital, Cassidy took both kids with her in my car to find a fix. Apparently she decided to leave them locked in the car. I still can’t believe I was that stupid to leave Gavin with her. Even with as much pain as I was in, I should’ve known better.”
Dell sighed. “It wasn’t your fault. Or mine. We didn’t know at the time how hooked Cassidy was. None of us did. Not even Sapphira. Gavin was a restless, active preschooler—not someone you could pen up in a waiting room—and you didn’t want him to see you in unbearable pain.”
“I remember the reasoning, Dell!” Julep looked down and drew a breath. “But I was his mother.” Her tone was softer now. “And I should’ve known I was putting him in danger.”
Dell patted Julep’s arm. “We were panicked, and you did what you thought was best for him. It’s all any parent can do.”
How long had it been since they had mentioned Cassidy’s name? Years. She was only a few years younger than the Glynn Girls. In some ways she seemed troubled early on. She wasn’t like her free-spirited, artistic mom or her confident, businessman dad or anything in between. By middle school she was unhappy, anxious, and miserably uncomfortable inside her own skin. All of that seemed to grow by leaps and bounds when she was seventeen and her dad died. Luella swallowed a lump. A little more than a year later Cassidy gave birth to Siobhan, and she never named the baby’s father. Around the time Siobhan was born, Cassidy started experimenting with drugs, probably looking for an escape from her anxiety and self-loathing. In the blink of an eye, she was hooked, despite all the love Sapphira tried to give her.
Where was Cassidy now? Luella had thought about her and little Siobhan many nights during her prayers. Cassidy had let her mother name the baby as a thank-you for letting them live in her home and for being a free babysitter. But Cassidy never liked the name Siobhan. Had she changed her daughter’s name to Tara and then abandoned her? That made little sense. Then again, Cassidy’s life made little sense for someone who had been loved deeply by her parents.
Julep continued to stare out the window. “Mitch drove me home from the hospital that afternoon. But when we arrived, there was no one at our place or Sapphira’s. Mitch and I drove all around the island. We were panicked. Then I saw my boy sitting under a tree with red all over his shirt. I thought the worst”—she gave a shaky laugh—“until I realized it was just cherry snow cone. And there was Siobhan, sitting with him in the shade of the live oak, holding his hand and talking to him about the seagulls. She’d gotten them out of the car and bought a snow cone to cool Gavin down. She was a smart girl and resourceful. We took them to the pediatrician to be checked, and they were fine, but only because of Siobhan.”
Luella wiped beads of sweat from her face. Rehashing this situation somehow made it feel even hotter than it should. “So that’s where Tara’s story converges with our memories. It wasn’t long after that when Cassidy left town with Siobhan. Poor Sapphira. What a heartbreak that was, and she had to carry it for the rest of her life.”
A thought struck Luella. “Do you realize this weekend will be the first time in twenty-five years there won’t be any lawyer’s office running an ad in a paper that says, ‘Desperate grandmother looking for Siobhan O’Keefe, born in Glynn County, Georgia, St. Simons Island, on April 1, 1987’? And offering a reward for any leads. According to Sapphira’s instructions, now that the house is in Gavin’s hands, her lawyers will stop paying for the ads.”
Sue Beth pointed to a painting of the ocean. “We girls could’ve gone on a cruise several times for what Sapphira, or her estate, paid lawyers for placing those ads in various newspapers, changing the state or cities she put them in, always hopeful someone would reach out.”
Julep wiped sweat from her forehead. “Tara’s the right age.” Her voice was little more than a whisper. “Maybe there was a reason she was drawn to this house…”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Sue Beth pulled out her cell phone and waggled it. “We should call Hadley. She could put this whole thing to rest by telling us that Tara was born and raised somewhere in North Carolina.”
Luella shook her head. “She was in foster care. It’s possible she could be Siobhan.”
Julep grabbed her own phone from a nearby shelf. “We won’t know until we ask.” Standing in the center of the group, she touched her screen and put the call on speakerphone.
&nbs
p; “Hello, Julep.” Hadley’s voice sounded upbeat.
“Good morning. You’re on speaker with all of us.”
“Hi, all. Is Tara with you? Is she okay?”
Dell leaned in. “She’s currently on a bike ride. She’s been helping us with a cleaning project this morning.”
Julep cleared her throat. “Listen, we have an odd question, and we thought it best not to ask Tara directly. At least, not yet.”
“Not a problem. What is it?”
“Where was Tara born?”
Hadley was silent for a moment. “I’m glad you called me instead of asking her. That’s an emotional question for her because she doesn’t know. Her mom abandoned her before safe haven laws existed, so her mom left no clues that could lead people to finding her. If Tara is remembering correctly, her mom was in some major trouble at the time and didn’t want to go to jail. Drugs were involved. Possibly other things too. Tara’s birth certificate is a generated one, created by the state of North Carolina, and the info on it is based on their best guess of where she was born. She knew her birth date, and she remembered she was from Georgia, but she thought the town was called Ocean, and there is no Ocean, Georgia.”
Ocean, Georgia…Luella’s breath caught. Ocean Road was two hundred feet from here, and at a nearby intersection the street name changed to Ocean Boulevard. Residents couldn’t enter or leave Fourteenth Street without traveling on a road named Ocean. So maybe the name Ocean had stuck in Siobhan’s mind when her own name hadn’t.
She leaned in. “What is her birthday?”
“April 1, 1987.”
Luella’s heart about stopped. Julep pressed a hand against the wall, jerking air into her lungs.
Siobhan’s birthday.
“Wait, is this about the ad in the paper?” Hadley continued. “Are you picking up where Sean and Darryl left off? They planned the trip to St. Simons because they believed Tara had a family connection there somehow. Sean and Darryl meant for it to be a surprise adventure for her.”
Luella’s head spun. After decades of Sapphira’s searching for Siobhan, had her lost granddaughter returned home without knowing it? If so, the repercussions of this were staggering. Luella willed her voice to be steady. “Did Tara know her mom’s name?”
“It may not be her real name. Tara said they moved a lot, and her mom changed their names just as often. It was a confusing childhood, to say the least, but her half brothers had the same mom, and they knew her as Cassidy Banks.”
“Cassidy.” Julep sank to her knees.
Luella took the phone from Julep. “Thanks, Hadley. We’re sorry for this strange call. There’s a lot of info that we’re processing. We’d appreciate if you didn’t mention this conversation to Tara just yet. We’ll get back to you soon. We’re proud of Tara’s progress. She’s got some steel somewhere underneath all her pain.” And if she was actually Siobhan, she’d need it. “Listen, we need to get back to work. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.”
“I’m proud of her too. Don’t worry. I won’t say anything about us talking, but don’t hesitate to call if you need me. Thanks for looking after Tara.”
“Bye, Hadley.”
Silence hung in the room like a heavy blanket. What were they going to do?
“Hello?” Gavin called out. “Finally the house is mine free and clear.”
Luella turned to find Gavin beaming as he came into the room. He waved a folder of papers in his hand. “All that’s left to do is meet Roy at the pier and get a nice, fat check for the shiplap, but I’ve got some time before meeting him.” His brows furrowed. “No whoops or hollers or hugs?” His eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”
“Son,”—Julep went to him and cradled his face—“we need to talk.”
31
Gavin’s heart raced as if he were finishing a sprint or charging into a burning building. He clenched his fists to keep his hands from shaking. This couldn’t be true. He longed for fresh air, but his feet were glued in place. Sapphira’s studio was spacious, but the walls seemed to be closing in.
Tara was Siobhan?
“Luella, how accurate is this information?” Gavin trusted her investigative process. From her years of research for her writing, she knew when information was or wasn’t adding up.
“I fully trust it. No DNA test required. Tara’s not trying to make any puzzle pieces fit, and yet a lot of pieces do fit, Gavin.” She put a hand on his elbow, and her eyes caught his as she peered up at him. “Siobhan’s and Tara’s birthdays match. Their mother’s name is Cassidy. Tara has had a recurring dream that is almost identical to an event that happened here. When she was a child, she said she was from ‘Ocean, Georgia.’ ”
“Wait.” Sue Beth picked a bug off her shirt and released it. “There may be another way to know. Remember, Siobhan had a completely white patch of hair on the back of her head, some type of genetic anomaly.”
“Does Tara have it?” Julep asked.
Each person shrugged and shook her head.
“Would Siobhan still have it?” Julep asked.
Luella nodded. “The likelihood is high, because it’s like having a dark birthmark. It was about a fourth of an inch wide and probably wouldn’t go away. But I don’t need any other proof to know she is Siobhan.”
Gavin forced air into his lungs. Tara had told him it was her house. And it was. She was the rightful owner of Sapphira’s inheritance. How was this even possible? “And you discovered all of this because she recognized a painting?”
His mom held it up to him. “She was awed that this snow-cone stand matched one in a recurring dream of hers. We questioned her, and most of the events in her dream are what took place more than twenty years ago when Cassidy left the two of you in a locked vehicle with the windows rolled up.”
They had to be wrong. “I remember hearing that Siobhan saved my life but only that somehow the two of us got stuck in a car in summertime, and she got me out. When I asked why we were in a car by ourselves, I didn’t get much of an answer.”
His mom’s face distorted as if she was embarrassed. “I…I didn’t want you to know the whole story.” As she told him the details, her fingers trembled, and she rubbed her forehead. “I should’ve known better than to leave you in Cassidy’s care. Siobhan—Tara—got you out in time. Even at five she had more sense than her mom.”
“I need air.” He strode to the living room and went out the first of five glass double doors that ran along the back of the house. He breathed in deeply the humid air that was saturated with the fragrance of nearby honeysuckle. He closed his eyes.
Tara saved my life? The news was crazy.
He’d always had the memory of the tang of a cold cherry snow cone and it being held out to him by a friend he loved. And surely at the time he’d felt a strong bond toward his hero friend for getting him out of that car and being so kind, but he didn’t remember that part.
He moved to a lawn chair and put his head in his hands. He could feel his mamas hovering near him, no doubt not knowing what to say.
“For heaven’s sakes, Son, say something.”
He lifted his head, taking in Sapphira’s home and yard, both given such meticulous care in hopes Siobhan would return one day. Despite the fact that the property legally belonged to him as of today, it was Tara’s.
What would he do? He would be ruined financially! Mom will lose her house, maybe her business. But what was left of the place, as well as all monies earned from his taking it apart and selling it off to the highest bidders, belonged to Tara.
Gavin drew a heavy breath. “We have to give everything back to her that we can. The land, the money—all of it.”
Mom crumpled into a nearby chair. “But we maintained it, and you’re the executor of the will. You have power of attorney in all matters. Can’t you keep any money for that?”
If only h
e could. “We maintained it out of the escrow account Sapphira set up, and I’ve already received compensation for being the executor. We used it to pay debts.” Gavin looked heavenward. “How much can one person take?” Tara had been through so much. How could they spring this on her too?
“Wait a minute.” Dell patted his shoulder. “Come on, Gavin. It’ll be okay.” She gestured at his mom. “You two have each other, and”—she made a circle motion—“and us. You and Julep can get a small house somewhere. Your credit won’t be ruined forever. You’re young and strong. This is just a setback.”
She’d misunderstood. “Tara.” The word came out as a whisper.
“Oh.” Dell grimaced. “I hadn’t thought…You’re right. This is sure to alter her world too and not in a good way.”
“Will it?” Sue Beth shook her head. “Why? She’s inheriting valuable land with a home…” She looked at the shell of a house. “Well, the land is valuable. She doesn’t need a house anyway.”
“Shh.” Julep put her index finger over her lips. “Stop talking and think about the whole twisted, ill-timed mess, Sue Beth. Even if it’s ultimately good news, it’s a lot to deal with.”
Gavin’s stomach felt as if he’d been tossed on a ship riding rough waves. Sapphira had spent Tara’s lifetime trying to find her, and she’d grown up in foster care anyway. Her brothers had wanted to give her the gift of finding her roots, but they died a week before they could do it.
What would all of this do to Tara?
He studied the house. “I’ve gutted it.” He could hardly breathe. “I was so sure it wouldn’t hurt anything to start taking the house apart before the date in the will. I…I betrayed Saffy’s trust.” How had he gone from being ecstatic over finances to being a broken soul—in one morning?
A phone buzzed, and his mom pulled hers from her shorts pocket. “It’s Tara.” She flashed a desperate look at Gavin, swiped a finger across the screen, and pressed the Speaker button. “Hi, there.”
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