Page 110 of The Paradox Club

TESS AND MARIE SAY GOODBYE

“Hello, Marie,” said Tess, pulling the canoe onto the boat landing, where Marie stood in the light of her headlights.

“Hello, Tess.”

“You’re not surprised to see me?”

“I came here because I wanted to see you,” said Marie.

“A first time for everything.”

“Indeed.”

“I know the whole story now,” said Tess.

“None of us know the whole story.”

“I know that I’m not your daughter, not in this universe. I know why you treated me the way you did.”

“I should never have…but I had already mourned Tess. I had buried her and spent a year weeping every night for her loss and then…”

“Then your husband died bringing someone who wasn’t your daughter into your life to remind you every day of that horrible night.”

“She was so small, and pale, and cold,” said Marie.

“In my universe Richard called. In my universe Harry didn’t oil the door.”

“I know.”

“If I’d known,” said Tess. “If I’d known I wasn’t really your daughter, maybe we could have…”

“We couldn’t tell you,” said Marie. “That was the one thing Richard and Vivian and I all agreed on. We were the only ones who knew.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be your Tess, that I couldn’t be the daughter you lost.”

“I never should have expected you to be,” said Marie. “I should have had compassion for a child ripped away from her home. If you had been anyone else…”

“I understand,” said Tess.

“I still miss Harry.”

“So do I, every day.”

“He loved you more than anything. More than me, more than science, more than life,” said Marie.

“I guess that’s one thing our two universes have in common,” said Tess with a smile. “I’m happy for you. For you and David.”

“David isn’t Harry,” said Marie. “No one can ever be Harry, just like no one can ever be Tess, not even you.”

“But you love David?”

“I do. He’s a good man, and he makes me happy. I will always love Harry and I will always love Tess, but it’s time I moved on.”

“Would it be all right…all right if I gave you a hug?”

“It would be lovely,” said Marie.

Tess stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the woman who was not her mother. Marie returned the embrace and Tess felt a warmth she had never experienced with this version of Marie. After a moment, Tess eased her grip, but Marie held her tighter, so she returned the pressure.