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The thing she was most struggling with was what her family had done to her. The secrets and lies, the knowing. They’d allowed her to believe she had a normal life, a normal upbringing. More or less.
Her sessions with Rachelle and the other therapists had gone well, but she had a long way to go. Mama Irene told her she needed to forgive before she could move on, but that was going to be difficult, considering the way they’d treated her, the things they’d said about her.
The day before, just after Tobias left, she’d received a call from her sister. Because the comms team had her phone, she’d left a message, which was filtered by the team. Rightfully so. The things that Phoebe said were horrible. She had no idea that her sister despised her. They’d never had a great relationship, but she didn’t believe she’d hated her all these years.
“Hi,” smiled Julia, walking toward her.
“Oh, hello,” she said, wiping her eyes. She shook her head in apology. “I’m sorry. I’m such a mess, but I promise I won’t be like this when Tobias and I get married.”
“Gail, you will be a wonderful wife for Tobias. You’re entitled to be a mess now and then; lord knows he probably will be as well. Your partnership is going to be amazing, and I cannot wait to see all the changes you’re going to make at the clinic. We’re growing so fast it’s difficult to keep up with everything, and I know that Lena, Kelsey, Allie, and the others will be happy to have your help and support.”
Gail stared at her future mother-in-law. She looked twenty-five. Her skin was perfect, her hair shiny with full, bouncy curls, and her body was amazing. Long and lean, she looked like a model for swimsuits.
“You’re staring,” she grinned.
“That’s funny. Your father said the same thing to me. You look like him, and you’re both absolutely stunning. Paige looks more like your mother, so beautiful, but in a completely different way.”
“Thank you, Gail. But you’re beautiful as well. You remind me of Elizabeth when she and Chris met. She looked like a teenager. He was this big, burley SEAL, and she was this little, bitty thing. They’re a wonderful couple, and she’s an amazing teacher.”
Gail nodded, giving her a weak smile.
“Are you not feeling well?” she asked.
“I’m physically fine, Julia. It’s my head that seems slightly cracked,” she smirked.
“It’s not cracked, honey. You’re hurting and don’t know what to do about it. That’s understandable, considering what your family did to you.”
“Tobias said that you speak with ghosts. He introduced me to a few of the ghosts on the property, and they’re honestly the most wonderful characters I’ve ever met,” she laughed. “But I was wondering, have you seen or spoken to my brother or his family? Anyone?”
“Sometimes it’s not cut and dry,” said Julia. “Sometimes we get these strange messages from people we don’t know, or that aren’t related to us. Martha and the others describe it as a ghost network. If the ghost can’t find their way here, they sort of send along a message for someone through the other spirits.”
“That must be exhausting for you,” said Gail. Julia nodded, pulling the collar of her coat up around her neck as the wind whipped past her.
“It was almost unbearable. Until Joseph. He was like a calm stream in a hurricane. All I had to do was touch him, and suddenly, the spirits would be at ease. His father was able to do it as well. Neither knew what they were providing for me, not really. Not until much later. You can only imagine what it was like for me as a child.”
“Did no one know?”
“My sister,” she smiled. “Paige was my best friend in the whole world, and she knew. She kept my secret until I was ready to reveal it. I’ll never forget that.”
“That’s lovely,” whispered Gail.
“Were you and your sister close?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not sure we were ever close. Phoebe is six years older than I am, so we didn’t attend the same schools at any point in time. She was my mother’s perfect mini-me.”
“How so?” asked Julia.
“Well, Mom was Miss New York, runner-up for Miss America. All she ever wanted was for one of her daughters to do what she couldn’t. Phoebe was all in. Starved herself, went to ballroom and ballet lessons, wore all the gowns, went to every damn pageant, every damn weekend. In the end, she won Miss New York but was also runner-up for Miss America.”
“And you?”
“I was third runner-up for Miss New York,” she smirked. “My father convinced me to do it to please my mother. I was never so happy as when it was over. I hated every moment of it. I didn’t have any great talent. I didn’t want to wear the ballgowns and those ridiculous heels. I hated all the makeup. It just felt so fake for me. I mean, it’s fine if Phoebe loved it, but not me.”
“Were they okay with you going to college?”
“Sort of. Phoebe went to Wellesley. Got a degree in interior design that I don’t believe she’s ever used except to purchase expensive shit for her own home. Getting a master’s in nursing seemed very common, to my mother anyway. I just wanted to do something where I was going to be helpful to the rest of the world.”
“Did you know your grandparents?” asked Julia, cocking her head slightly.
