would you be able to pick and choose which memories I’d be able to keep and which ones I’d lose?”
He shook his head. “I couldn’t promise that,” he said. “The mind is a wily place. There’s no telling how things are connected to one another, but I’d have to believe that all of those memories would be linked together.”
“That’s what I thought,” she said. “And that’s why I can’t allow you to remove them.”
“Why?” he asked. “Are you still investigating something on the case?”
She sighed and shrugged. “No, it’s… it’s ridiculous,” she said, “and I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Try me.”
Sitting back in her chair, she met his eyes. “When I was shot, the bullet went through my abdomen,” she said. “The doctors patched me up as best they could, and it was literally a miracle that I came through the surgery. But…”
She paused and took a quick breath. “But they didn’t know if things were damaged inside of me,” she explained. “They didn’t know, don’t know, if I can ever have children.”
“ Ahhhh ,” Ian said. “That perhaps explains your nightmare, you were crying out for your baby.”
Wiping a few stray tears, she smiled at him. “I remember it a little. I gave birth to a baby, I felt it, but they kept saying I couldn’t have a baby. Bradley took the baby and disappeared with it.”
“Your greatest fears,” Ian asked. “Losing both Bradley and your baby?”
She shrugged. “I guess that’s probably true. But through Jeannine and her memories I got to feel a life growing inside me. I got to give birth to a baby. I got to hear the sound of a baby’s first cry. Can you understand how important that is to me?”
He shook his head and leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hand together. “No, I have to admit, I can’t,” he said. “Mary, this was not your baby. It was Jeannine’s baby.”
“It was also Bradley’s baby and I’m not ready to give that up.”
“I’ll grant you, you experienced a miracle,” he said. “But you also suffered horrors no woman should bear. Are you sure the memory of the birth is worth the anguish?”
She nodded. “I’m sure.”
Sitting back in his chair, he took a quick sip of tea. “Well, then,” he said. “It looks like we’re on to plan B. We need to find ourselves a ghost.”
“You’re looking for a ghost?” Andy said from the staircase. “Can I help?”
Ian smiled at Mary. “Ah, so we have a ghostbuster in training.”
“I’d be real good at finding ghosts,” Andy said. “Cause I ain’t afraid of nothing. I’m the bravest person I know. ‘ Cept for Chief Alden.”
Ian stood, walked over to the stove and scooped a bowlful of oatmeal out of a pot. “Are you brave enough to eat good Scottish porridge?” he asked.
“Sure,” Andy replied. “Long as you let me put good stuff on it.”
Ian shuddered. “Americans. Aye, I’ll let you have your brown sugar and raisins.”
“Can I have some too please?” Maggie asked, making her way into the kitchen dragging her backpack.
“Darling, you may have anything you’d like,” Ian said.
Maggie turned to Mary. “I love the way he talks.”
Ian placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of both of them. “And I love the way you talk too, darling,” he said gently. “Now, eat up and I’ll fix your lunches.”
Maggie scooped a spoonful into her mouth. “He’s a good cooker,” she said after a moment.
“It’s ‘ cause he lives in a castle,” Andy said. “Castle people know how to make good oatmeal.”
“ It’s porridge,” Ian corrected.
Maggie giggled. “That’s what the three bears ate,” she said.
“Aye, and what Goldilocks ate,” Ian said, raising his voice an octave. “This porridge is too hot. This porridge is too cold.”
“And this porridge is just right,” Maggie added, scooping another spoonful into her mouth.
“Exactly,” Ian said, winking at her. “And how do you feel about peanut butter
He shook his head. “I couldn’t promise that,” he said. “The mind is a wily place. There’s no telling how things are connected to one another, but I’d have to believe that all of those memories would be linked together.”
“That’s what I thought,” she said. “And that’s why I can’t allow you to remove them.”
“Why?” he asked. “Are you still investigating something on the case?”
She sighed and shrugged. “No, it’s… it’s ridiculous,” she said, “and I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Try me.”
Sitting back in her chair, she met his eyes. “When I was shot, the bullet went through my abdomen,” she said. “The doctors patched me up as best they could, and it was literally a miracle that I came through the surgery. But…”
She paused and took a quick breath. “But they didn’t know if things were damaged inside of me,” she explained. “They didn’t know, don’t know, if I can ever have children.”
“ Ahhhh ,” Ian said. “That perhaps explains your nightmare, you were crying out for your baby.”
Wiping a few stray tears, she smiled at him. “I remember it a little. I gave birth to a baby, I felt it, but they kept saying I couldn’t have a baby. Bradley took the baby and disappeared with it.”
“Your greatest fears,” Ian asked. “Losing both Bradley and your baby?”
She shrugged. “I guess that’s probably true. But through Jeannine and her memories I got to feel a life growing inside me. I got to give birth to a baby. I got to hear the sound of a baby’s first cry. Can you understand how important that is to me?”
He shook his head and leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hand together. “No, I have to admit, I can’t,” he said. “Mary, this was not your baby. It was Jeannine’s baby.”
“It was also Bradley’s baby and I’m not ready to give that up.”
“I’ll grant you, you experienced a miracle,” he said. “But you also suffered horrors no woman should bear. Are you sure the memory of the birth is worth the anguish?”
She nodded. “I’m sure.”
Sitting back in his chair, he took a quick sip of tea. “Well, then,” he said. “It looks like we’re on to plan B. We need to find ourselves a ghost.”
“You’re looking for a ghost?” Andy said from the staircase. “Can I help?”
Ian smiled at Mary. “Ah, so we have a ghostbuster in training.”
“I’d be real good at finding ghosts,” Andy said. “Cause I ain’t afraid of nothing. I’m the bravest person I know. ‘ Cept for Chief Alden.”
Ian stood, walked over to the stove and scooped a bowlful of oatmeal out of a pot. “Are you brave enough to eat good Scottish porridge?” he asked.
“Sure,” Andy replied. “Long as you let me put good stuff on it.”
Ian shuddered. “Americans. Aye, I’ll let you have your brown sugar and raisins.”
“Can I have some too please?” Maggie asked, making her way into the kitchen dragging her backpack.
“Darling, you may have anything you’d like,” Ian said.
Maggie turned to Mary. “I love the way he talks.”
Ian placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of both of them. “And I love the way you talk too, darling,” he said gently. “Now, eat up and I’ll fix your lunches.”
Maggie scooped a spoonful into her mouth. “He’s a good cooker,” she said after a moment.
“It’s ‘ cause he lives in a castle,” Andy said. “Castle people know how to make good oatmeal.”
“ It’s porridge,” Ian corrected.
Maggie giggled. “That’s what the three bears ate,” she said.
“Aye, and what Goldilocks ate,” Ian said, raising his voice an octave. “This porridge is too hot. This porridge is too cold.”
“And this porridge is just right,” Maggie added, scooping another spoonful into her mouth.
“Exactly,” Ian said, winking at her. “And how do you feel about peanut butter
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