Chapter 16
She had met the man once or twice before, and Joan had introduced him as her brother.
“I guess that makes me your uncle young lady,” the tall man in uniform said, smiling as he crouched to shake her little hand.
In her mind, Emily could hear herself as a little girl asking Joan about him afterward.
“Mommy… I didn’t know you had a brother.”
“Yes, I do Sweetheart,” Joan had explained, “He’s my only brother, and he’s two years older than me. When my Grandma Alice died, we were sent to different foster families. I was too young to write letters to him then, so we lost touch with each other until a few years ago.”
Although they both seemed happy to have reconnected after that one visit, their reunion eventually became nothing more than an exchange of Christmas cards every year. Joan could never get a relationship to stick, Emily thought.
* * * * *
Emily kept entering his phone number only to end the call before it connected. “How do you even begin a conversation like this?” she asked herself. Finally, summoning up the strength, she placed the call, this time letting it ring until someone answered.
“Detective Wilson,” the voice answered in a confident tone.
“Hi… Uncle Warren? It’s your niece… Emily Fitzgerald… Joan’s daughter.”
“Oh… Hi Emily. Is everything alright?” Wilson asked cautiously. “It’s been what… fifteen years?”
“Actually, I think it’s more like twenty,” Emily replied, beginning to feel more at ease. “I was almost six when you came to visit my… mother.”
“What can I do for you Emily? Is your mother okay?”
Taking a breath, Emily launched into what sounded like an opening statement in a courtroom. After explaining that his sister had committed suicide, Emily expertly laid out the facts, starting with everything Joan admitted to in her suicide note, then moved to the facts she had corroborated using the information found by the private investigator.
She ended by saying, “The only thing I don’t have, Sergeant Wilson, are DNA test results to conclusively prove that Elizabeth and Richard McDonald are indeed my parents.”
Wilson had remained quiet throughout Emily’s monologue. He was very impressed with her apparent preparation and delivery. Each time he would jot down a question, she would inevitably answer it without being asked a few seconds later. As she spoke, Wilson used his department laptop to search for her records with Idaho Department of Motor Vehicles. Within seconds, Emily Elizabeth Fitzgerald’s drivers license appeared on the screen. Ho-lee shit! There was no denying whose twin sister she was, and just like Aimee, she looked a little like Anne as well. How many more surprises can this family take?
When Emily stopped talking, Wilson paused, then, said, “It seems I’m not really your uncle, and I’m guessing… you became a lawyer. Your presentation of the facts was excellent, young lady.”
“Thank you… Sergeant.”
“Please, call me Warren,” he said before asking his next question. “So Counselor, what is your next step? What do you plan to do with this information?”
A little smile appeared on her face, when he called her ‘counselor.’ “That’s the other reason I wanted to speak with you Warren. You’ve been involved with this family since this all started. I was hoping you might be able to give me some advice on how best to approach them.”
He wondered if she knew how far back he had been involved with the family – especially his short-lived affair with Betsy.
“Emily, I can tell you they’ve accepted everything, and are moving forward as one happy family. I’m not quite sure how much more they can take, but, I’ll say this much – they are good people, who have been through a lot in the past twenty-five years.” He then went on to share with her, everything that was not in the media. Finally, he asked, “So Emily… what are your intentions and expectations?”
“I simply want to meet my real family and let them know that I exist,” she answered. “Other than that, I have no expectations. My life is here in Idaho… but it would be nice to have family back east!”
* * * * *
Along the streets and byways of New England, autumn’s colorful foliage had already fallen, leaving only the dark silhouettes of mighty Oaks and Maples against November’s cold, steel gray skies. Thanksgiving Day had finally arrived, although one might think it was already Christmas by the look of the stores, and some homes in the neighborhood whose owners already “decked their halls.”
On Woodbury Avenue in Portsmouth, the McDonald home was bright and filled with activity. The aromas of roasted turkey, apple pie, and fresh, homemade bread made its way to the family room, where Sally and Drew watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Mac and Betsy welcomed Kevin’s parents, who had flown in from Chicago for the long holiday weekend. A fully recovered Uncle Liam joined them as well, sharing photographs from his recent Caribbean cruise.
Father Peter O’Donnell, pastor of St. Christopher Parish in Sanford, where Betsy worked, arrived shortly before noon as requested. Upon entering the home, he noted the warmth of the family, and commented on the wonderful aromas emanating from the kitchen.
“You’re welcome to join us for dinner, Father,” Mac responded.
“Thank you Mac, he said, “I would love to, but Betsy knows, I promised the good women at St. Agnes Senior Home, that I would share their holiday meal with them. I hope you understand.”
“Of course we do, Father.”
“Should we get started then?”
As the large grandfather clock in the foyer chimed the noon hour, Mac and Betsy joined Father Peter in front of the fireplace. With members of their extended family looking on, Father Peter began the simple service.
Crossing himself, he began, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…The Lord said, ‘When two or more of you are gathered in My Name, I am there with you. And so, here we stand in the presence of God and members of the McDonald and Burke families to bless the marriage and renew the sacred vows, which Richard and Betsy recited to each other many years ago.”
The three girls dabbed their eyes at the sight of their parents reuniting after twenty-five years. Anne stood alongside Kevin, holding his arm, thinking about the incredible six months that had just passed. Her own wedding, the start of their honeymoon, finding Aimee on the beach, learning about her mother’s twenty-five years in hiding, and now this… what a year this has been, she thought.
Mac surprised everyone by presenting Betsy with a new anniversary ring of diamonds.
Father Peter ended the service with a short prayer, and a final blessing for the entire family. Everyone in the room offered congratulatory applause, handshakes and kisses. Kevin offered a toast, as everyone lifted champagne glasses to the ceiling.
An hour later, the family sat around the extended dining room table. Everyone at the table knew the reasons they all had to be thankful this Thanksgiving, so they chose to keep things simple by offering the reciting Grace, before the meal. As the last syllable of ‘Amen’ filtered through the room, serving dishes filled with seasonal favorites were passed around the table in a well-choreographed fashion. Not a single serving bowl seemed to touch the table until everyone had an opportunity to choose what they wanted.
Laughter and good conversation filled the dining room. In her mind, Aimee thought back to her days as a young child, when she watched TV families celebrating Thanksgiving in special holiday episodes, always hoping, but never imagining that she would someday celebrate with a large family of her own.
As they cleared the table of dishes in preparation for dessert and coffee, the doorbell rang.
“It must be Warren,” Mac announced getting up from his chair, “He told me he had something to show us, so I invited him to join us for dessert,” he added over his shoulder as he headed toward the front door.
Mac opened the front door to greet his old friend. “Warren… Happy Thanksgiving! C’mon in out of the cold, you’re just in time for...”
Warren just stood there, knowing Mac was looking at the attractive young woman walking up behind him. A look of shock and disbelief replaced Mac’s big smile as Emily raised her face to look him in the eye. She was fashionably dressed in a casual style. Long, auburn colored hair gently framed her face as it cascaded down to her shoulders. Her light complexion, deep blue eyes, and slightly freckled nose, was certainly something Mac had seen before. Cradling a large manila envelope in her left arm, she offered her outstretched right hand to Mac.
“Mr. McDonald, my name is Emily Fitzgerald, and I have reason to believe that I am your daughter – Aimee’s twin sister.”
“P-Pl-Please come in,” Mac stammered, as Betsy walked into the foyer to also greet their guest.
“What’s taking you guys so long Mac?” Betsy asked. “What is it?”
“Congratulations… It’s a girl!” he replied, motioning for Emily and Warren to enter the house.
“What do you mean it’s a g…” she asked as Emily walked through the door.
Seeing her, Betsy let out a gasp loud enough to silence the happy, cheer-filled conversation in the nearby dining room, causing everyone to rush to see what had happened. Within seconds the entire family crowded into the entrance hall seeing Mac and Warren steadying a still shocked and bewildered Betsy. Next to them stood a woman they did not know, but who obviously had a familiar face.
With everyone speechless, Wilson decided to make the introduction quick and simple, “Girls, meet your sister Emily.”
From out of the cluster, Aimee rushed to Emily like a moth to a flame, saying, “I knew it. I knew it… I knew it… I knew it.”
For the first time in more than twenty-five years, the two twin sisters were together. Emily let the manila envelope drop to the floor as she opened her arms to greet her twin sister.
“I’ve always had a feeling you were out there,” Aimee said, hugging her twin again. “Caldwell High School right?” she asked.
“Yeah, how did you know?” Emily asked.
“I dunno… I just knew. And everyone kept telling me I had a doppelganger at Caldwell High.”
Aimee accepted this moment with open arms, but for some, it only opened recently healed wounds. Anne looked at Mary Beth with a furrowed brow, and look that asked, did you know about this little secret too? Understanding the un-spoken communication with her sister, Mary Beth innocently shook her head and mouthed the word, ‘No!’
Watching his two youngest daughters reunite, Mac sternly whispered to Betsy, “How could you not know about her? What other secrets are you still hiding?”
“None! I knew nothing about her, Mac, I swear. I had no idea I was carrying twins. My doctor only heard one heartbeat, and we only saw one baby on the ultrasound.”
Noticing the uneasiness, Wilson tried to lighten the mood saying, “Hey… you guys invited me over for dessert. Where’s this delicious pumpkin pie I’ve been hearing so much about?”
A smattering of laughter followed, and everyone began to slowly walk back to the dining room. Still in the foyer, Betsy walked up to Emily, giving her a cautious and rather awkward hug, as tears began to roll down her face.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t know about you…” Betsy’s voice cracked, as she hugged her ‘new’ daughter tighter.
“It’s okay M…” Emily hesitated, not knowing exactly how to refer to her birth mother at the moment.
Aimee, who still standing at Emily’s side, picked up on the hesitation and said, “It’s okay Emily, call her Mom.”
“Yes, please do,” said Betsy who took a step back to take in both of her daughters. My God! You are definitely twins. Look at the two of you!” she said, causing all three of them to laugh and cry at the same time.
That evening, Wilson sat back as he watched his friends try to make sense of another bizarre occurrence in their lives, and welcome another unexpected daughter/sister into the fold.
Emily presented the entire story to her new family, just as she had to Wilson a few weeks earlier. This time, however, he noticed it was not as polished, nor was she as detached. It was different. It was emotionally charged, and those emotions permeated Mac and Betsy’s living room. This time, she was facing the very people whose life was changed, because her life was changed. They were shocked and saddened as she described what happened the day she and Aimee were born, her childhood and life with Joan as an adult. They were also proud of everything Emily had accomplished – Stanford, and Stanford Law, passing the Idaho Bar Exam, and being acknowledged as a ‘rising star’ in a prestigious law firm.
Watching his wife and twin daughters ‘group hug,’ Mac looked over at Warren, smiled and said, “Do me a favor Warren? The next time, you find one of my long lost kids… can you at least make it a boy?”
Epilogue
Black Friday. For many, the day after Thanksgiving has become retail’s version of a full contact sport, with game planning so extensive, it rivaled those of many NFL teams. In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, the three McDonald girls convinced their mother to join them as they started a new family tradition – ‘Girls Day Out!’
The surprise arrival of a new sister did not change their plans. Emily was told by her sisters, that she was joining them for a day of shopping, lunch, and a visit to a relaxing spa afterward… whether she liked it or not. The day went well, and by the time everyone returned to the McDonald home, for “Thanksgiving Dinner leftovers,” Emily had been fully initiated into the family sorority.
After weeks of anxiety and hesitation over whether or not to contact the Betsy, Emily could not have been happier. She was beginning to re-think her original expectations of “just letting them know she existed,” and regretted having scheduled her flight home for Saturday, rather than Sunday. She truly enjoyed being part of such a fun family, looked forward to returning for an entire week that Christmas.
Four weeks later, the family gathered for dinner and to watch that week’s Patriots game versus the Broncos. Emily arrived on Christmas Eve, and looked forward to that Sunday’s game. Everyone loved her visits, but when she walked into the room wearing a replica Peyton Manning Denver Bronco jersey, everyone booed. “Hey, I grew up rooting for the Broncos,” she said, unfazed by the negative comments.
Jim Nance has just begun his half time review of scores around the NFL, when the front doorbell rang. Mac, comfortably seated in the new La-Z-Boy recliner he’d received for Christmas, asked his grandson Drew to get the door. Returning to the family room, Drew said, “Grandpa, Sergeant Wilson needs to see you. He has a young man he wants you to meet.
Approaching the foyer, Mac saw Wilson standing there with a freckled, auburn haired boy around Drew’s age. “Wilson… I know what I told you on Thanksgiving, but you’ve got to be kidding me!”
Wilson laughed, saying, “No Mac. This is Brian Smith. I’ve been his Big Brother for the past five years. We’re heading to Boston for a Bruins game. “Do you have a minute?”
“Yeah,” he said smiling. “It’s the halftime report and I can’t understand a word Shannon Sharpe says anyway!”
The two men laughed. Then, looking at Brian, Mac asked, “Do you like football, son?”
“I love the Patriots,” the eleven year-old replied.
“Well, you’re in luck in then,” Mac said. “The game is on in the next room. Why don’t you join my grandson Drew, while I speak to Sergeant Wilson.”
“Nice kid,” Mac said, as he and Wilson watched the boy walk into the family room.
“So what’s up?” Mac asked, bringing the conversation back to Wilson.
“Mac, I just wanted to let you know that I’m leaving the Harbor Point PD. In fact, I’m leaving Maine. I’ve been offered the Chief of Police position in Pierce, New Hampshire.”
“Congratulations!” Mac said, offering a handshake. “Pierce, huh? Wow, that’s way up there. I’ve been through there a few times. Small town. It’s like something out of a Norman Rockwell illustration,” pausing for effect, he then added… “Or a Stephen King novel.”
“Yeah, it’s a nice town, and I really need the change of scenery. I’ve been at HBPD too long,” Warren replied. “But the real reason I wanted to talk to you Mac, is Brian. As I said, I’ve been his Big Brother for the past five years. I was wondering… hoping really, that you’d be interested in taking my place. I don’t want him to go back to what he had before – a string of guys who like the idea of being a Big Brother, but aren’t really interested in putting in the time to be a Big Brother.
“Can I think about it, Warren? I mean… I’m still just getting used to having two new daughters.”
“Of course, I understand Mac,” Wilson replied. Then, reaching into his pocket, Wilson removed a business card, handing it to his friend, saying, “Tell you what, Mac. If you decide you’re interested, call Jim McLaughlin at this number.”
Looking at his watch, Wilson realized he and Brian had to get going, if they wanted to get to Boston before the first puck dropped. The two men silently walked into the family room, to see Drew and Brian enjoying the Patriots game.
“Looks like he’s already has a new friend,” Wilson said.
“Yes, it does, Warren. Yes it does,” Mac said with a smile.
The End