Frayed Edges

by Terri Reid

  “Are you sure?” Bill asked.

  Bradley placed his hand on his former father-in-law’s shoulder. “I’m more than sure,” he replied.

  Bill looked around the table at all the people gathered together before he bowed his head and began his prayer. “Dear God,” he prayed. “As we come together to celebrate this day of Thanksgiving, we are grateful for the many blessings thou hast given us. We are grateful for family. We are grateful for new friends. We are grateful for love and kindness. We are grateful for forgiveness. We are grateful for all the hands that worked together to create this feast before us. We pray that thou wilt bless us this day. Bless our loved ones who are not with us. Bless those who mourn that they may be comforted. Bless those who serve us in the armed forces, that they and their families will be safe. And finally, God, bless this Thanksgiving dinner. Amen.”

  After an echoed chorus of “Amen,” the noise level raised as dishes were passed and plates were filled. Rosie and Margaret brought platters of white and dark meat to the table. Mary placed several baskets of Parker House rolls strategically on the tables. Small card tables were set up to hold extra dishes that couldn’t fit on the tables, and extra napkins were rushed from one end of the room to the other when a glass of milk was spilled.

  “T’weren’t my fault,” Stanley grumbled as he sopped up the milk with a wad of paper napkins. “I was reaching for a roll, and the glass caught on my shirt.”

  Mary chuckled and shook her head. “My mother always said that it wasn’t a true dinner until someone spilled their milk.”

  Then she turned and looked at Bradley’s plate. “Um, you’re missing something,” she said.

  He looked down at this overflowing plate and shook his head. “I can’t fit another thing on it,” he said.

  “You haven’t tried the corn pudding,” she said. “And you did promise.”

  He sighed. “Fine,” he replied, looking around. “Where is it?”

  Mary looked and saw that it was on a side table near the other end of the table. “Why don’t you just try a bite of mine,” she offered.

  “Really?” he asked with a smile. “That will work?”

  “Yes,” she said, biting back a smile. “That will work.”

  He brought his fork over to her plate and picked up a small bite of corn pudding and tasted it. His eyes widened, and he brought his fork back down onto her plate, bringing back a larger bite this time. “This is corn pudding?” he asked. “This stuff is great.”

  He looked up across the table. “Um, Sean, could you do me a favor and pass me the dish of corn pudding?”

  “You want me to pass it to you like the pass you made this afternoon?” Sean asked with a smile. “Just about took my hands off.”

  “Sean O’Reilly,” Margaret said. “We do not throw food.”

  “Don’t worry, Ma,” Art said. “Even if he wanted to throw it, he couldn’t make it past his own salad plate.”

  “Says the guy who missed every single pass,” Sean countered.

  “Says the guy who throws like a girl,” Tom inserted.

  “Excuse me?” Mary asked.

  “Present company excluded of course,” Tom quickly replied, reaching over and passing the corn pudding towards Bradley.

  “You’re not just doing this to make me happy, are you?” Mary asked, turning to her husband.

  He leaned over and kissed her quickly. “No, I’m not,” he said. “You were right. This really is great.”

  The dish made its way to Bradley, and he scooped out a portion on his plate and replaced the amount he took on Mary’s plate. “We have to make this more often.”

  Mary nodded. “Yes. Yes, we do.”

  Chapter Fifty-seven

  The food had been put away, the dishes had been done, and Bradley had taken the kids out to the backyard to play games.

  “Peek out the window and make sure they’re all occupied,” Rosie said as she carried the cake from the basement door towards the table.

  “Aye, they have Bradley and Clifford tied up,” Ian said, peeking through the blinds. “It looks like they might be building a wee fire underneath their feet.”

  “Aren’t kids amazing?” Sean teased, standing alongside him. “Look! They’re using a blow torch to get the flames going.”

  “But don’t worry. Art and Tom are helping them, so the knots are good and tight,” Ian said.

  Sean looked from the window to Mary. “I didn’t know you had a container of gasoline back there,” he said. “That’s going to hurt.”

  Mary shrugged calmly. “Well, it’s a good thing that both Clifford and Bradley stated in their wills that if anything were to happen to them, both you and Ian would have to step in to be the father-figures,” she said. “I’m sure you two could handle…” She paused. “How many kids?”

  Ian stood up. “Well, now, if that’s the case, I think I’ll be going out there and looking out for my future,” he laughed.

  “Yeah, me, too,” Sean added.

  They walked over to the kitchen counter. Ian picked up two cans of aerosol whipping cream and handed one to Sean. “You don’t go out to tame the beasties without some kind of weapon,” he said.

  Sean looked down at the can in his hand. “This is a weapon?” he asked.

  Ian grinned. “Well, there’s fighting, and then there’s conquering,” he replied.

  “Yeah, and you Scots were always so good at conquering,” Sean teased.

  Ian stopped at the door and looked at Sean. “And have you not seen Braveheart?” he asked.

  He opened the door wide, the whipping cream in his outstretched hand, and yelled, “FREEDOM!” Then he dashed down the stairs into the yard.

  Sean walked more casually toward the door and shook his head. “Should I remind him that the Scots lost?”

  He stepped outside and pulled the door behind him. But his voice could still be heard in the kitchen when he yelled, “Go Bears!”

  The women stood in place until he closed the door. Then they all ran to the window.

  “Oh, that’s gross,” Margaret said with a chuckle as they watched Ian and Sean squirt whipped cream into the eager, open mouths of the children.

  “Ian’s going to be a great dad,” Mary said softly to Gillian.

  “Aye, he is,” she replied, shaking her head. “And our children will be spoiled brats.”

  A thump on the basement door brought them all to attention. “What the…” Margaret asked, hurrying to the door and opening it.

  Timothy stood on the other side, the wooden dollhouse in his hands. “I thought we might want to set this up on one of the wee tables,” he said.

  “I’ll help you,” Bill volunteered.

  Fifteen minutes later, the presents were in place, the candles were lit and everyone but Bradley and Clarissa were inside, waiting for the special event.

  Taking a deep breath, Mary walked to the back door, opened it and called out. “Bradley, Clarissa, you both need to come inside right away.”

  Everyone hid, and Mary flicked off the lights.

  “What’s wrong?” Clarissa asked. “Where is everyone?”

  Mary turned the lights back on, exposing the table filled with cake and presents and the ‘Happy Birthday’ banner hanging overhead.

  “Happy Birthday!” everyone yelled.

  Clarissa looked at Mary and then Bradley. Her happy face crumbled into tears and she rushed to her father’s arms. Bradley bent down and gathered her close. “Are you okay?” he asked tenderly.

  She nodded and sniffed. “I’m just too happy,” she said. “And it’s coming out in tears.”

  Bradley hugged her tighter and nodded, looking up at Mary. “I know just how you feel.”

  Chapter Fifty-eight

  It took Clarissa only one try to blow out the candles, and Mary would never tell that she had Mike by her side assisting in her efforts. All the Brennan boys were duly impressed with her lung capacity.

  She loved the dollhouse and all of the tiny furni
ture and accessories that went with it. Lucky claimed the second floor bedroom as her own and spent most of the party knocking things out of the house and onto the floor.

  The other gifts were opened in record time, and appropriate hugs and thank yous were offered. Clarissa was nearly overwhelmed. “I’ve never had a party like this in my whole life,” she said as she pushed another piece of chocolate cake into her mouth.

  Mary waited until the noise had died down and the cake had been eaten. Then she brought out the box with the quilt.

  “Another gift?” Clarissa asked.

  “A special gift,” Mary explained. “And there is a little love in this gift from all of us. But mostly, it’s a gift from your mommy Jeannine.”

  Joyce wiped a tear from her eye, and Bill placed his arm around his wife and pulled her close.

  “But, mommy Jeannine is in heaven,” Clarissa said. “How could she send me a gift?”

  Mary placed the box in Clarissa’s lap. “Why don’t you open it?” she said. “And then I’ll tell you about it.”

  Clarissa almost reverently took the wrapping paper off the box and then carefully lifted the top. “Oh, it’s beautiful,” she said, lifting the quilt up. “And it has all my favorite colors.”

  Mary shook her head. She hadn’t even noticed that the quilt did indeed have all of the colors Clarissa loved best.

  “When you were a tiny baby, just like Mikey is now,” Mary said. “Your mommy Jeannine bought all of the material to make this quilt for you. She must have known you pretty well already, because she picked out all of your favorite colors. Then she cut up the fabric into squares to make you this quilt.”

  Mary paused as her heart filled with sorrow for the mother who couldn’t be there with her daughter. “Even though she couldn’t be here with you,” Mary said, her voice filled with emotion. “She wanted you to have this quilt from her. She wanted you to know how much she loves you.”

  “She still loves me?” Clarissa asked.

  “Oh yes, darling,” Joyce said. “I know your mommy Jeannine still loves you. Just as much as your mommy Mary does.”

  Mary took a deep breath and smiled at Joyce. “Thank you,” she said.

  Joyce shook her head. “No, thank you.”

  Then Mary turned back to Clarissa. “So, all of the people who love you helped finish the quilt,” Mary explained. “Your daddy, your grandpas and your uncles took all of you to the park so we could keep it a surprise.”

  “And your Auntie Katie brought over her quilting frame and we set it up and everyone quilted it,” Mary continued. She pointed to the tiny stitches in the material. “Each little stitch is a little bit of love. Can you count how many stitches are on the quilt?”

  Clarissa shook her head. “There are too many.”

  Mary smiled and kissed her daughter. “Exactly. And that’s how much we love you,” she said. “Too much to count.”

  Bradley knelt down next to Clarissa on the other side. “So, even though your mommy Jeannine started this quilt out of love, she let all of us put our love into it, too,” he explained.

  Clarissa hugged the quilt to herself. “I will keep this always and always and always.”

  Chapter Fifty-nine

  The house was finally quiet as Mary made her way to say goodnight to Clarissa. She opened the door to find the new quilt securely tucked into Clarissa’s arms. Clarissa looked up from her pillow. “I had a great day,” she said, yawning widely.

  Mary sat next to her on the bed. “You had a busy day,” she said. “And a great day.”

  “I love my new grandma and grandpa.”

  “And they love you, too,” Mary replied, stroking Clarissa’s head. “It really meant a lot to them when you invited them to come back and visit soon. That was sweet.”

  Clarissa shrugged. “I want them to come,” she said.

  “Me, too,” Mary replied.

  “Are you tired?” Clarissa asked.

  Mary nodded. “Yes, I’ve had a busy day, too.”

  Clarissa sat up in bed, placed her hand on Mary’s belly and felt it move. She giggled. “I don’t think Mikey’s tired,” she said.

  Smiling, Mary shook her head. “No, I think Mikey is ready to dance the night away,” she replied.

  Clarissa giggled. Then she stopped and studied Mary for a moment.

  “What?” Mary asked, feeling a little pleased that she was starting to get mom powers.

  “I think I saw something today,” she said.

  “What?” Mary asked, concerned.

  “I think I saw mommy Jeannine,” she said. “Just for a minute when I opened my quilt.”

  Mary hugged Clarissa. “I would not be surprised,” she said. “I saw her today, too, when we were all making the quilt. I think the quilt was important to her.”

  Clarissa brought the quilt to her cheek. “I will always love it,” she said.

  “And your mommy Jeannine will always love you,” Mary said, placing a kiss on the top of Clarissa’s head. “Just like I will always love you.”

  Clarissa snuggled back down into her bed and smiled up at Mary. “I’ll always love you, too,” she said.

  “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day,” Mary said. She stood up and walked over to the door. “Good night, sweetheart. Sweet dreams.”

  Chapter Sixty

  Mary pulled her SUV into the parking spot in front of her office, surprised that it was one of the only spots left on the street. She stepped out of her vehicle and looked around. People were everywhere. “What in the world?” she questioned, pulling her coat tighter around herself and quickly grabbing her purse so she could get into her office before anyone could see her.

  Black Friday was generally not a huge shopping day for downtown Freeport because of all of the deals at the big-name chain stores, which is why the Freeport Downtown Development Foundation held its Christmas Walk on the Saturday after Black Friday. That was the only reason, quite frankly, Mary had even bothered getting out of bed. She had to decorate her office windows before the Christmas Walk.

  She unlocked the door and hurried inside, keeping the blinds that covered the large display windows closed for now. She slipped her coat off and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Most of her clothes were getting uncomfortably tight, so she’d borrowed a pair of Bradley’s sweatpants, which were not only too big, but also too long. So, she had pulled a pair of thick, athletic socks up over the bottoms to keep them in place. She was wearing one of her father’s cast-off flannel shirts that had paint stains on the front. She hadn’t bothered putting on make-up, and she had just pulled her hair back in a ponytail because— “No one was supposed to be downtown,” she said to her reflection. “Who didn’t get the memo? Downtown is closed today.”

  With a frustrated sigh, she walked over to the storage closet and pulled out the large, plastic containers of Christmas decorations. As she carried the containers to her desk, she remembered Stanley coming into her store last year and chastising her because she hadn’t untangled them before she put them away for storage. “Well, I’ll show him,” she muttered, opening the first box.

  She stared inside in shock and horror. Instead of the neat little piles she’d imagined, the lights were one big ball of tangled mess. “I thought I…” then she paused and shook her head. “No. No, I guess I didn’t.”

  Picking up the bewildering jumble of green and white, she inserted the only visible plug into the outlet and tried to carry it back to her desk. Unfortunately, the untangled cord was only about three feet long, so instead of sitting at her desk, Mary was obliged to sit on the floor with the ball of lights in her lap.

  “Bah-humbug,” she muttered as she tried to weave the wires in and out of each other.

  She heard the bell over the door chime but couldn’t get up from the tangled mess. “Stanley?” she asked. “Is that you?”

  “Mary O’Reilly?” a strange male voice asked.

  Crap!

  “My office is closed,” she called out, pr
aying they would just leave.

  “That doesn’t matter to us,” the voice called back in excitement.

  Mary noticed that it seemed to be getting brighter in her office. She pushed the lights off her lap, creating a bigger mess, and struggled to stand up. “Please, I don’t…” she said as she began to stand.

  “Smile, Mary O’Reilly,” the man behind the video camera yelled. “Because you’re on this week’s episode of Ghost Discoverers.”

  “Oh, hell, no!” Mary exclaimed.

  # # #

  About the author: Terri Reid lives near Freeport, the home of the Mary O’Reilly Mystery Series, and loves a good ghost story. An independent author, Reid uploaded her first book “Loose Ends – A Mary O’Reilly Paranormal Mystery” in August 2010. By the end of 2013, “Loose Ends” had sold over 200,000 copies. She has sixteen other books in the Mary O’Reilly Series, the first books in the following series - “The Blackwood Files,” “The Order of Brigid’s Cross,” and “The Legend of the Horsemen.” She also has a stand-alone romance, “Bearly in Love.” Reid has enjoyed Top Rated and Hot New Release status in the Women Sleuths and Paranormal Romance category through Amazon US. Her books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese and German and are also now also available in print and audio versions. Reid has been quoted in a number of books about the self-publishing industry including “Let’s Get Digital” by David Gaughran and “Interviews with Indie Authors: Top Tips from Successful Self-Published Authors” by Claire and Tim Ridgway. She was also honored to have some of her works included in A. J. Abbiati’s book “The NORTAV Method for Writers – The Secrets to Constructing Prose Like the Pros.”

  She loves hearing from her readers at author@terrireid.com

  Other Books by Terri Reid:

  Mary O’Reilly Paranormal Mystery Series: