On Monday and Tuesday, Brenna fought her nightmares to the back of her mind and worked industriously on wallpapering her small kitchen. By Tuesday afternoon, she was finished and after cleaning up her supplies, she stood and looked around for a few minutes, amazed at what she could accomplish on her own.
Zoe wandered up to the screen door and Brenna let her in. “What do you think, girl? Pretty nice, huh?” Zoe looked around and went over to her water dish, registering only that now the house smelled stranger than ever.
Brenna put some coffee on to brew and flopped into an old kitchen chair, decorated with drips of pink and yellow paint. She looked at the two windows facing the backyard and the window facing north over the washer and dryer. She needed to decide what kind of curtains to put up but that didn’t have to be done today. Besides, sometimes she had better ideas if she let her subconscious work on things for awhile.
The aroma of coffee infused the kitchen and after filling her favorite mug, she went to sit in her rocker and read. About time to go to the library, she thought this was her last book. Maybe her choices of reading material were triggering these latest dreams. She certainly read enough mysteries and gothic romances. She put her feet up on the hearth as Zoe flopped down on the rug. Olivia came over and jumped onto her lap, turning around and around before settling down, and looked up at Brenna, purring, as if to say 'It’s about time you sat down'. Brenna smiled and opened her book.
The cool autumn breeze blew through, bright maple leaves drifting down to cover the tiny grave with a new seasonal blanket. It didn’t hurt so much to come here now that some time had passed. The pink roses were still blooming in this temperate climate and she laid a bouquet at the foot of the small pink granite headstone. Looking at the polished face of the stone, she traced the engraved rose with her finger and then the scrolled words,
Victoria Rose
June 1, 1953
from our hearts
to God’s
She wiped off the stone’s face with her sweater sleeve, making sure it was shiny as possible, and rose to her feet. Her tiger kitten came darting through the leaves, attacking the rustling ones on his way. She laughed and, scooping him up, made her way back to the house.
Ringing...the telephone was ringing. Brenna jumped up, spilling Olivia to the floor, and crossed the parlor to the phone. Dropping into the velvet chair, she picked up the receiver and yawned, “Hello?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?” Adam asked her.
“No, no...yes, but I wasn’t supposed to be sleeping. I was reading...”
“I’ve missed seeing you on the beach this week. Been busy?”
“Yeah, I’ve been wallpapering my kitchen, but I finished this afternoon. Want to stop by and see it?” Wincing, she crossed her fingers. Looking at her watch (geez, seven o’clock!), she asked, “Have you had dinner yet? I have some burgers I was going to grill.”
“Sounds great...can I bring something? I make a killer salad.”
She smiled. “That’ll be fine. When will you be here?”
“Twenty minutes okay?”
“Great, I’ll see you then.” Hanging up, she ran up the stairs. Twenty minutes to make herself and her house presentable! She made herself slow down to warp speed. Now, be real, be yourself, don’t go into a frenzy here. The man gave you twenty minutes. I don’t think he’s expecting perfection.
Okay, casual, but not sloppy. She grabbed a pair of clean jeans and a blue oxford shirt and darted downstairs. Zoe raised her head as she dashed through the parlor, then sighed and went back to sleep.
Brenna quickly changed clothes and washed her face. Looking at her watch, she threw her work clothes in the hamper and straightened up the kitchen. Okay, good enough, she was not Suzy Homemaker after all. She put some fresh coffee on and went back to her rocker to read and relax until he arrived. The attempt at relaxation lasted for about two minutes and fortunately Adam's truck pulled in just then. Zoe got up barking and ran to the back door.
Brenna greeted him before he knocked and took the salad bowl he held out.
“Hi, how are you? You can put your jacket over there.” She put the salad in the refrigerator while he hung his jacket on the brass coat hook she had installed by the back door.
Adam looked around the kitchen, inspecting her remodeling job. “Now this is great! Really lights up the room.” He chuckled. “You ought to have Helena over sometime. She would love this.”
“Do you think? I felt I was changing so many things she might not like it. And is she really up to leaving the home? She’s not always lucid.”
“No, she’s not, but she seems to actually be more alert when she goes out. Mel has had her over for dinner a few times and she’s done fine.”
“Well, maybe I’ll do that. I’ll finish the bath and dining room first,” Brenna said thoughtfully. She showed him into the parlor.
“I’ve always liked this old fireplace," Adam said. "I thought about buying this place when I moved back here for that alone, but I just wasn’t sure enough about what I wanted.” He leaned on the mantel and studied the painting. “This is beautiful.”
Brenna smiled. “That’s Molly’s housewarming present. I love it.”
Adam nodded and turned around, rubbing his hands. “Okay, it has my seal of approval. Now, let’s eat!”
After dinner, Adam laid a fire and they sat on the carpet in front of its warmth with full stomachs and hot coffee. Zoe came and crowded in front of them as the cats perched on the wide hearth, tails wrapped around their bodies and eyes closed in contentment.
Adam sighed and said, “I have to say, I feel like those cats look right now; full stomach, warm and toasty, not a care in the world.”
Brenna started to agree with him, then realized for her that wasn’t quite the case. Over the last month, she'd begun to feel haunted by the dreams she’d been having. She had grown used to the airplane nightmares over the years, upsetting as they were, and had usually managed to keep them at bay with therapy. But these new dreams...there seemed to be no rhyme or reason for when they came or why. She gathered her courage and managed to ask the question for which she was most afraid to hear the answer.
“Adam...do you know if Helena ever had children? I mean I know there’s none alive but...maybe some could’ve died.”
“I’m surprised you would have heard about that. Not many people remember. I only do because my grandma was a close friend of hers. She used to live next door...the house burned down in 1990 and Grandma moved across town.”
Brenna swallowed hard. “Adam...what is your grandma’s name?”
He looked at her oddly. She seemed to be taking this so seriously. “Her name was Margaret Chambers; she died in 1998.”
Brenna stared into the fire as a tear trickled down her cheek. Zoe put her head on her knee as Adam looked at her in astonishment.
“What’s wrong?” He put his arm around her, mystified at this turn of events. They’d had such a nice evening...what was this?
Brenna sniffled and patted Zoe's head. How could she begin to explain? Her dreams were all coming together in a story she didn’t want to know, hadn’t wanted to hear. Her house, her wonderful house...was it really haunted after all? She never felt or saw a thing when she was awake. Only those dreams...she finally pulled herself together and got up to get some tissues. She came back and sat down beside him as he stared at her. “Okay now, from the beginning, what’s up?”
Recalling the first dream, she related all of them to him, pointing out facts such as the rose bush growing by the front door and her knowledge of his grandmother's name.
When she was done, he sat still for awhile, the story sinking in. “There’s no way you could’ve heard any of this around town, from Mrs. McNair or someone?”
Brenna looked him in the eyes. He looked embarrassed to have asked, but she could understand why he would. “No. I wish I had. But I didn’t know any of this and I’m getting so tired of it.”
Adam regarded her thoughtfully. “Have y
ou ever looked for proof? I mean, to back up things you dreamt, like the box in the attic or the headstone?”
She shuddered. That had never occurred to her, but it should have. It was only logical. Her mind must have been trying to protect her. “No, I haven’t. I would’ve been afraid to, even if I had thought about it. Are the dreams all accurate?”
“Well, you told me a lot more than I’ve ever heard, but what I have heard matches with what you’ve said. My Grandma told me once when I was a kid that the Montgomerys had a baby girl who died soon after they were married and they never had any more. I was just a bored kid wishing I had someone to play with and asked her why there weren’t kids over here. Hmm. I think the logical thing to do now is to look for some evidence, don’t you?”
A few more tears fell at the thought. “I just don’t have the nerve. But if I don’t, will the dreams just keep coming? Is this house trying to tell me something?”
“I don't know much about weird things like that, but I’d be glad to check out the attic for you,” he volunteered.
Brenna could see this was becoming a challenge for him. Taking the offensive and doing something was more preferable for him, whereas for her, it was terrifying. Then again, she had to live here and later he would go home. Enough was enough. Even if the dreams had come to an end already, this had to be done sometime.
She got to her feet. “I don’t know if there’s a light up there. I’ll get a flashlight.”
Adam smiled behind her back. Good, he had thought she could handle it. But what if they found the box? What would they do then? They sure weren’t going to go trotting around the yard in the dark, looking for a headstone.
His reverie was interrupted as Brenna came back with the flashlight. They climbed the steep staircase and she showed him where the ladder folded up to the ceiling. Adam pulled it down carefully and after turning on the flashlight, ascended the wide dusty rungs. Reaching the top, he shone the light around, looking for a cord, switch, bare light bulb...aha, there was a cord. He pulled on it, but the bulb was dead.
He called down, “Have you ever been up here?”
“No! I hate dark places like that. None of my stuff is up there.”
“I really think you should come up. It’s not that scary. The steps are sturdy and this is a bright flashlight. There’s some really old stuff up here and a bunch of boxes; I don’t know which one to look in.”
Brenna grimaced. “It might be by an old trunk.”
“That would help if there weren’t several trunks up here. Can you remember where she put it?” As if she had actually seen Helena storing it! On the other hand, she did remember exactly where she had seen it in the dream. The truth was, she was afraid the box would be where she had dreamt it.
She bolstered her courage and called up to him, “Okay, I’m coming.” Adam smiled.
Climbing slowly to the top, she peeked around when her head reached floor level. It was a small attic, not much more than a crawlspace; Adam had to duck his head slightly. She climbed up the rest of the way and he took her hand as she reached the top. She closed her eyes for a minute. Helena had turned slightly to the left, past the trunk with her wedding dress...could her dress still be here? The box she was looking for was the original one mailed from Michigan. Opening her eyes, she dropped Adam’s hand and took the flashlight. She stepped forward and shone the light on the stack of boxes next to the trunk. The top box was so covered in dust that any writing was invisible so she wiped off the top, shining the flashlight right on it. Addressed to Helena...no big surprise...where was the return...Detroit, Michigan. Brenna had thought she would be terrified at this moment, and was surprised to feel triumph and relief mixed with the fear.
Adam had stood by quietly. Now he asked, “Well?”
She handed the box to him. “Here it is. Let’s take it downstairs.”
They settled themselves on the rug by the fire and Brenna untied the old string, half of it disintegrating from age. She wiped the top off again so as not to get dust on the contents already seen in her dream and opened it slowly. Pulling back the yellowed tissue paper, she and Adam stared down at the tiny christening gown, in the light for the first time in over sixty years. She picked up the tiny bonnet and gown and, pushing the box aside, laid them out on her knees. They, too, were faintly yellowed with time, but still exquisite with tiny stitching and fine rows of lace.
Adam stared at them, wide-eyed. “Wow. I mean, I believed you, but wow. That’s not the same as seeing it.”
Brenna smiled. “I know. Aren’t they beautiful? Helena's mother made them by hand. Family and friends made all these little clothes. I can’t believe I’m not upset. You would think I’d be more scared, but I’m not. I’m a little nervous about looking for the baby’s headstone; that’s kind of a big deal.” She threw up her hands. “But what’s the point? This is all history. Martin’s gone and Helena’s so old. Victoria never got the chance to live so she can’t have any unfinished business, like in the movies,” she puzzled.
“I don’t know, Brenna, I have no idea. I’ve never heard about this stuff really happening.” He looked up. “Want me to help you look for the headstone in the morning?”
“Would you, please? I won’t rest easy now until I know if it’s on this property or not. It gives me the creeps to think of looking for it by myself.”
“No problem. Do you have any decaf?”
“Yeah, you want me to make some?”
“No, just tell me where it is and you can sit with your...stuff.”
Brenna smiled. “It’s all on the shelf over the coffee maker.” Her stuff. She wondered if she should ask Helena about it. No, Helena hadn’t intended to get the box out again. But apparently some force of nature or spirit thought Brenna should. She laid the gown on the couch and lifted out the tiny diapers and t-shirts, along with some flannel blankets and knit sweaters and gowns. You would have been a well-dressed baby, Victoria; you were anticipated lovingly, it’s clear to see.
Chapter 24