“Sure.”
He drives us to the Visitor Center and parks the car. We walk over to the place we sat on our first date.
“When I’m sad or just want to think, I come here,” he explains. We sit and soak in the view. The clouds are dancing in the sky. Every time we come here, I wish I had my art supplies.
“Thank you for dealing with my parents the past few days.”
“I enjoyed it. Your dad knows his history, and I love that he enjoyed quizzing me.” He snorts.
“Yea, he’s good at that, but I think you may actually know more about the area than he does. It was nice to see someone challenge him for a change.” I giggle.
“I liked your mom, too. She has her hands full with him, it looks like.”
“That’s an understatement.” We both laugh. Bruce always knows how to raise my mood out of the dumps.
“So, do you think it’ll just be the two of us at the funeral tomorrow?”
“Actually, Teresa and Daniel will be there as well. Teresa is hoping to get a read off of Edward and Elizabeth to make sure they have found each other.”
“It is shocking that she can communicate with ghosts. There seem to be so many lost souls here. It’s a shame that she can’t help them all.”
“She does what she can. Some of them just don’t want to be helped.”
We enjoy the sun as it starts to set. Watching the colors change in the sky is better than watching TV. If you watch long enough, you can make out every color of the rainbow. Right now we are in the cotton candy stage. I feel Bruce watching me, so I turn my head.
“What are you looking at?”
“You. You’re so beautiful.” He lifts his hand to push a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
“You’re pretty good-looking yourself.” I wink at him as I lean into his shoulder and rest my head. “Do you think Edward and Elizabeth will find their ‘happily ever after’?”
“I hope so.” We sit and watch the sun set until the darkness engulfs us. “So what would you like to do now?”
“Well, I guess we can start the moving process. It won’t take very long, since I didn’t bring much with me.”
“Really?” he asks excitedly.
“Really.” He stands and scoops me up off the bench into a bear hug and kisses me.
“You make me truly happy. Do you know that?”
“I do now,” I shriek.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Bruce takes my hand and almost drags me to the Jeep. As we head for the Jeep I feel giddy like a kid getting ready to ride a rollercoaster. He kisses me again before opening the door.
As we drive up, we see Sally and Benny playing with Buc outside. Yup, I have made the right choice staying here. These people are my family now.
“Hey, what are you guys up to?” Benny asks.
“Sarah has agreed to move in with me, so we’re getting a jump on moving now.” He smiles at me. I shake my head and smile back.
“Want some help?” Sally asks.
“If you want to, but I really don’t have that much stuff,” I explain.
“Let us help, then we can get some beer and food to celebrate,” Benny suggests.
“Sure,” I say.
We all go inside, and Bruce goes to his place to rearrange things to accommodate my belongings. Luckily, the furniture came with the loft, so it really takes no time to move my things over. It’s a bit sad to see how little I do own.
Once we have finished the grand move, the four of us go over to the pizza joint for beer and pizza. I love my friends here. They make me feel as if I’ve known them my whole life. Benny and Sally have been dating pretty steadily since their first date, and they seem so happy together.
“What happened with all of the ghost stuff?” Benny asks.
We bring them up to date, including that tomorrow we are holding a funeral for Elizabeth.
“Wow, do you think they are together now?” Sally asks.
“We hope that once we lay Elizabeth to rest, they will find each other.”
“It’s romantic, you know, in a morbid kind of way. Just the fact that she couldn’t live without him, then to be dead so long, waiting for a love that couldn’t get to her. And Edward waiting for her here all this time,” Sally laments. She does have a point. They both have waited too long, so I do hope this works.
We polish off another pitcher of beer before we all go home. It was nice to get together with friends, to have fun for a change.
When we get to our loft, the feeling is a bit unnatural for me. It has been so long since I’ve lived with someone. I almost forgot how it works.
Bruce envelops me in his arms. “Welcome home.”
“Thank you. It’ll take some getting used to.”
“It won’t take you that long. Trust me. Make yourself at home.”
He goes over to the couch and turns on a baseball game as I look for a space to store my art supplies and easel. Once I get set up, I survey the space around me. When I look over at Bruce, I feel the need to sketch him. I get out my chalk and begin.
By the time I’m done with the drawing, Bruce has come over to stand in front of me. I refocus my eyes and look up at him. “What are you drawing? You had that look.”
“Come around and see.” I glance down at my work. I’ve drawn Bruce watching TV. I’m glad to see that that’s what I’ve drawn this time. No ghosts showing me what they wanted me to see.
“Wow, I look pretty good.” He snickers. I punch his arm.
I give him a kiss as I walk into the bathroom to clean up for bed. We have a busy day ahead of us.
Chapter 25
We are quiet when we wake. Today’s the day that we send Elizabeth to find Edward, we hope. One hundred fifty years have passed since she died. That’s a long time to wait to finally get some peace. And I hope that’s what Edward and Elizabeth will finally get. They deserve to find each other, after all this time.
I shower and put on a light blue summer dress and sandals. We decided to avoid morbid and wear happy colors instead. Today’s service will be a celebration, instead of a funeral. Bruce is wearing a pair of kaki pants and a sea foam green button-up shirt.
Bruce drives us to the cemetery. We knew Daniel and Teresa would be here, but are surprised to see Benny and Sally waiting for us as well. “What are you doing here?” I question as we approach the group.
“Well, we didn’t think the two of you should have to do this alone. And we want to see Edward and Elizabeth together again, too.” Sally beams.
“That is very thoughtful,” Bruce adds.
“I hope it works. Teresa, can you feel her?” I ask as I draw closer.
“I can. She seems happy to be away from the cabin, but she still hasn’t found Edward, I’m afraid.”
“That’s not good.” I worry.
The officiant comes over and asks, “Are you ready to start?”
“Yes, please,” Bruce says. He takes my hand, and we all walk over to Edward and Elizabeth’s graveside. The workers are ready to lower Elizabeth into the ground when we complete our farewell. This will not be a long service, so we didn’t request any chairs to be put out. This grave is located under a shade tree at the top of a slight hill, overlooking some of the cemetery.
“We are here today to honor and remember Elizabeth Marie Finny, a daughter, sister, and nurse. No one knew the torment you went through so long ago. We hope you will find the passage home so you may finally rest in peace. The pain of losing someone the way you have is hard. Although none of us knew Elizabeth, she deserves to find peace.” The officiant continues his tribute to Elizabeth, and since I always cry at funerals, no matter whose they are, I am grateful that Bruce thought to bring a handkerchief. He knows me better than I thought he did.
After the officiant’s eulogy, I say a few words. “I just want to thank you all for coming out with us today to help us guide Elizabeth in her search for peace. You all took part in bringing her home to Edward, and Bruce and I are very grateful to call a
ll of you our friends. You mean the world to us.” Bruce puts an arm around my shoulders and turns me back toward Elizabeth.
The cemetery workers lower her casket into the ground. We each collect a handful of dirt and throw it onto the casket, along with a red rose. “I hope you can find Edward now. Rest in peace, Elizabeth,” I say as Bruce and I walk away. The rest of the group follows our lead.
“I wonder if you and Bruce would like to come with us. We have something to show you,” Daniel says.
Bruce and I answer, “Sure.” Benny and Sally catch up to us.
“Hey, Sarah and I have something to do. Can we meet you back at home later?” Bruce wonders.
“Of course,” they answer.
Bruce and I nod. “Follow us,” Daniel adds.
As we walk back to the car, a movement catches my eye, and I look up. In the distance I see a woman. Her back is to us, and she looks to be wearing something from another era. She looks familiar to me, but I can’t figure out who she is. I stop walking and watch her. Bruce notices that I’ve paused and comes to stand next to me. “What is it?” he asks in a low voice. I don’t say anything; I just point in the direction of the woman. “Who is that?”
I shrug as we continue to watch her. She never turns around, so we can’t see her face. After a few minutes, she walks off toward some trees and disappears with a flash of light. “Did you see that?” I whisper.
“I wonder who she was.”
“Let’s see who she was visiting. Maybe that will shed some light on who she was.” We walk over to where she had been standing, and I move to the headstone on which she’d laid her hand. This area hasn’t been mowed, so I kneel down to clear the grass away from the name carved on the stone so we can read it.
Emily Sarah Finny
Feb 28, 1843 - Apr 15, 1912
Lost on S.S Titanic
“Wow,” Bruce comments under his breath.
“This poor family has had a lot of bad luck. What are the chances?” I exclaim, astounded.
“I think we can take a guess who we just saw here.”
“I hope Elizabeth can find Edward now. That must have been a shock for her to see her sister was dead as well, and in such a tragic way.”
We join Daniel and Teresa, who are waiting for us by their car. I’m glad they gave us a few moments alone. Bruce holds the door while I climb into the Jeep.
We follow Daniel to the Visitor Center, and I’m a bit confused as to why we are here. I look over at Bruce, who shrugs. We all get out of our cars. “Why are we here?” I question.
“I figured this was a special day and Teresa has found a few things that may interest you both,” Daniel explains.
We walk into one of the board rooms and see that the walls are lined with pictures. Bruce and I walk over to look at displays we have never seen before.
“When I was working on your family trees, I found many pictures of both Edward and Elizabeth. I’m sorry, but my crafty side took over when I started to put this together.” Teresa grins. The boards are set up chronologically. She has a detailed timeline of where and when each photo was taken. I knew this war was the first to be photographed, but I didn’t realize there would be so many photos. There are pictures of Edward with his family and of what looks like Edward registering for the Union army. There is one of all of the soldiers in Edward’s regiment, as well as one by himself.
On another board, there are pictures of Elizabeth, some with her family, several with her sister, and a few with Edward. Although people didn’t smile in pictures back then, they did look happy. They both looked as if they were trying not to smile.
“These are wonderful, Teresa. Where did you find all of them?” I inquire.
“They were in the archives. You just needed to know what to look for,” she says.
“Thank you for putting this together for us. It’s nice to see who we’ve been trying to help.” I smile as I continue to look over the pictures. “You know, Bruce, you do look a lot like Edward in these photographs. I definitely see a family resemblance.”
“Yes, I guess so, but you and Elizabeth could be sisters,” he mentions as he looks at the pictures with me.
“I guess you’re right. They looked happy together. I hope they have found each other.” “Me too.” Bruce takes my hand as we continue to look at the pictures. “We should let you know what we saw after you were in your car at the cemetery.” Bruce tells them about the woman at the cemetery.
“I guess she wanted the two of you to see her. I didn’t see her at all,” Teresa comments.
“Maybe,” I say.
“If you haven’t heard yet, Sarah has agreed to move in with me and stay on for another job,” Bruce announces.
Teresa looks at me and says, “Congratulations, that’s great news. So I guess that means you plan on staying in Gettysburg a while longer.”
“Yes, I’ve decided to stay.” I smile.
“I’m so happy for both of you.”
“So, Bruce, how long before the house is done?” Daniel asks.
“Benny said we should have the house done within a few weeks. We have a few minor things to finish up before we call the inspector out. As soon as he gives the okay, Sarah and I can move in. Then he can get started on his other project.”
“Oh, that’s great. What other project are you working on?” Daniel asks.
“Since we made a path to the cabin, I think I’ll build a house up there. I could open up the refurbished house for visitors during the tourist season and live in the new house,” Bruce explains.
“Wow, looks like you’ve been thinking a lot about this,” Daniel comments.
“I have. I’ve been thinking about a lot of things lately. I’m going to have Sarah help me with the plans for the new house. Since she will be living there, too, I want to make sure she has space for her work,” Bruce explains.
“That is very thoughtful of you, Bruce.” Teresa smiles.
“I want to make sure that Sarah stays a very long time,” Bruce answers as he brings my hand to his lips.
I didn’t know that the house would be done so fast. I know that Bruce told me about it, but I figured it had a lot of work still to be done. I guess not. I wonder if he’ll take me to it at some point before we move in.
It’s nice to spend time with friends. I’ve missed out on so much with all of the traveling I’ve done over the years. I’ll be happy to settle down for a while.
“Would you be willing to show me your family home?” I inquire when we get into the Jeep.
“Have I not shown it to you yet?”
“No, I guess with everything that has been going on, we haven’t had time.”
“Would you like to go now?”
“I’d love to.” He pulls out of the Visitor Center and heads away from town. He turns onto a narrow road, and we drive down a dirt path until we come to an old farm house. It’s huge, white with black shutters and a sweeping wraparound porch.
“This is it?” I ask. It’s beautiful! Why has he never brought me here before now?
“It is. This is where I grew up.”
“Really?”
“This old farm house has been in the Wilks family since before the war. It needed a ton of repairs. Benny has been working hard to get it to look as it did when it was first built. My parents lived here until they died. I thought I would fix it up after they passed, but it was too big for me to live in alone. That’s why I’m at the lofts. One person in a big house is a bit sad.” He shrugs. “Would you like to go inside?”
I nod as we walk up onto the porch. He has two rocking chairs and other old world décor sitting out, waiting to be put back where they came from. The rooms are many and spacious and since it’s a historical landmark, they could not alter anything, just repair or replace it. “Wow,” I whisper as I look around.
“Be careful. Benny said they painted yesterday, and it smells as if it may still be wet.”
“Bruce, this is marvelous. What will you do with it?” I question
.
“I’m not sure yet. We can live in it, at least until the new house is built. That will take over a year to do, depending on the weather. And since we will lose time over the winter, it may take even longer.”
“I think you should turn your home into a bed and breakfast.”
“I never thought of that. It is set up perfectly for one.”
“God, yes. This could be fun. I love staying in them. I could do a lot with this.”
“Well, if that is what you want to do, then I’m game.”
“Really?” I’m excited.
He walks over and wraps me in his arms. “If that is what you would like to do, then yes, really.” He kisses me.
“Show me more,” I say when he pulls away.
The farmhouse has four large bedrooms and two bathrooms. Two bedrooms and a bathroom per floor. It is perfect for a small bed and breakfast. Just needs a few tweaks, but I’m sure Benny will be able to work with it. Bruce takes me to the kitchen. Thankfully, you are allowed to have modern day appliances since old ones are hard to come by and can be dangerous. These do have a vintage look to them, so they don’t look out of place in an old kitchen. It’s a perfect size for cooking and baking in.
“This will be fun,” I announce as I continue to explore each room.
“You look like a kid in a candy store.” Bruce chuckles.
“I’ve always thought about doing something like this when I retired, but I traveled so much, I never thought it would ever become a reality. I’m happy. Happy that we’re able to unite Edward and Elizabeth. I’m happy being here in Gettysburg. And I’m happy being with you. I’ve never been this happy before in my whole life. You have no idea.”
“You make me happy, too. I want to spend my time proving that to you somehow.”
“Trust me, you don’t have to try very hard. You are already doing it.” I run over to him and jump into his arms. He catches me as I kiss him.
Chapter 26
It has been a few days since the funeral, and Teresa has not gotten anything new from Edward or Elizabeth. We’re not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad one. Bruce has some work to do this morning, and I still have two battlefields left to draw before I can move into my next job, so I drive over to Devil’s Den to draw it. The tourists have slowed to a trickle, now that school has started, so I won’t have any issues finishing these last few pieces. I’m saving the Wheatfield for last. I want Bruce to be there with me when I work on it, just in case.
Freeing Lost Souls (The Family Tree Series Book 1) Page 15