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A lump formed in Tabitha’s throat. “Casey.” The word slipped out. Reverend Stokes’s eyes widened, so she pressed further. “Does that name mean anything to you?”
The reverend’s lips tightened into a thin line. “Where did you hear it?”
Tabitha pointed over her shoulder. “From Auntie El. She was talking in her sleep.”
Reverend Stokes drummed his fingers over the table a moment, then took a large drink of wine. “He was one of Auntie El’s fosters. About twelve years old. Do you remember him at all? You might not. You were quite young when Auntie El had him here and he only stayed a year.”
Tabitha thought hard, but nobody was coming to mind. There were so many kids who came and went. She’d never formed any lasting attachments.
“He went back with his mother after she did some time,” Reverend Stokes continued, not waiting for Tabitha’s answer. “His household was always precarious, at best. Casey grew up and went through a few jobs. Was in and out of the system himself a few times. Auntie El heard recently he committed suicide. She took it real hard.”
“Oh.” Tabitha covered her heart with her hands. That explained a lot. Auntie El had always thought of all her fosters as her own, at least in some way. Some of them even kept in touch with Christmas cards or the occasional visit. Tabitha’s memories of most were fleeting; by the time she was ten, Auntie El stopped fostering. She’d always said she wanted to focus on Tabitha, but Tabitha had always suspected it just got too heartbreaking. “I’m really sorry to hear that.”
“Casey was one she fought for,” Reverend Stokes added. “He didn’t want to go home to his mother, but the way the law works in Virginia, it’s almost impossible to keep a mother from her kids. Auntie El stood no chance. She was devastated at the time. Casey dying just brought all that back.”
Tabitha slumped into a chair next to Reverend Stokes and thought again how lucky she was to have had Auntie El from the start. The death of Casey would explain a lot, though Tabitha wasn’t sure it explained everything. At least it was a clue.
The doorbell rang, leaving her no time to think more on it. “That’d be my guests,” she said. “I hope they like grilled cheese, Reverend.”
Reverend Stokes grinned. “Who doesn’t?”
Delaney, Sean and Nora came first. Tabitha had mentioned during work this week that Hobbs and Hannah were coming to Thanksgiving dinner and that she was nervous about it. Nora had inserted herself in classic Nora Style. “Can we come, too?” she’d said. “I’ll keep you from being nervous. Anything so I don’t have to eat any more of her vegetarian food.” She’d hooked a thumb over her shoulder at Delaney.
“You’re free to go back home to Williamsburg and eat all the meat you want,” Delaney had replied, not even looking up from the bike she was working on. Despite Delaney’s frequent threats to kick Nora out, Tabitha had the feeling that Delaney was getting used to having her estranged mother around. They’d only just started to get to know one another again over the past few months. Then she’d added, “We’ll come if you want, Steele. Since you said your auntie likes a crowd.”
The first thing Tabitha saw when she opened the door was Delaney’s dog, Wyatt, waiting with an eager smile on his face to get inside and see Trinity. He tugged so hard Delaney went flying over the threshold. “Slow down, boy,” she scolded, then finally undid the leash and let him run. He and Trinity leaped into each other, bumping chests, like some kind of Dude High Five after winning a sporting event.
Tabitha led them inside and made introductions with Reverend Stokes. Delaney wore a formfitting gray sweaterdress and a pair of fashionable leather boots. It was hard not to stare, as Tabitha had never seen Delaney in anything but jeans and motorcycle boots or workout clothes.
“Pick your jaw up, Steele,” Delaney muttered. “I can look pretty.”
“You look amazing,” Tabitha countered.
“Sorry we’re a little late,” Nora said. She wore blue jeans, a sweater and her typical cigarette behind her ear. “A group of people showed up at the shop as we were leaving, thinking we’d be open today. Can you believe that sh...” Her curse trailed off under Delaney’s withering glare.
“Here you go.” Sean handed over a bottle of red. “Thanks for having us.” Detective Callahan wore a pair of dress slacks and a button-down, but today he was missing the badge that he typically wore on his belt or around his neck.
Reverend Stokes smiled and shook everyone’s hands.
The doorbell rang again. Tabitha drew in a deep breath and braced herself. She opened the door to Hobbs’s big smile and her nerves softened even more, but in a different way. This wasn’t necessarily a relaxing feeling, due to the instant attraction that robbed her lungs of breath, but the anxiety that had come and gone in waves since this morning dissipated. Hobbs was also wearing dress slacks and a button-down shirt. Tabitha had never seen him cleaned up that way and it made her knees go oddly weak. Then she glanced down at the hairless cat in his arms and burst into laughter. “Is that George? Did you adopt George?”
The cat wore a brown sweater today, his pink face and big moony eyes indignant, like he resented being carried around like a doll.
“I’m fostering George. And Gracie.” Hobbs pointed over his shoulder, to where Hannah stood behind him, hiding behind his big shoulders. Gracie peeked around, her golden face eager and happy, her tail wagging.
“Well, of course. You can’t have George without Gracie.”
“Literally.”
Tabitha stifled a laugh as she pictured Auntie El’s face if she woke up in time to witness this circus of animals.
“I should’ve asked. I’m sorry.” Hobbs scratched the back of his head. “It was really a last-minute thing. They’ve been settling in and we didn’t think leaving them alone was a good idea. Gracie started whining when we went to leave, which made George howl like an alley cat. They’re a little bit—” Hobbs watched as Gracie yanked away from Hannah’s grip and ran headfirst into Wyatt and Trinity’s game “—wild.”
Gracie latched on to the middle of a stuffed raccoon that Wyatt and Trinity were tugging over. The toy barely had any stuffing left as it was and gave off a ripping sound.
“It’ll be fine.” Tabitha turned to Hannah, who was quiet as a mouse, looking like she wanted to disappear inside herself. “Come on in, Hannah. I’ll introduce you.” She put her arm around Hannah’s shoulders and guided her to the dining room, where the others were all chatting and laughing.
Hannah smiled and leaned into her a little bit, leaving Tabitha feeling a little jolt of surprise. When was the last time someone leaned on her? Lately, Tabitha was the one doing all the leaning.
