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Penny shouts to a gray-haired older lady who has her back turned to us but is unsuccessful at garnering her attention due to the volume of the music. Reggie heads in Martha’s direction, who is behind a table handing out cookies, while Aiden and Scott are following close behind me. I quickly scan the room for the source of danger but don’t see anyone that looks out of place. Jack and Jeremy recognize the loose fingers and rigid stance of my body and immediately know something is wrong. They go on high alert, searching for the cause of my distress. My gun is concealed under my shirt, but I’m ready to draw it quickly should the need arise.
I catch up to Penny, who has now let go of my hand so that she can tap the woman on the shoulder. “Mrs. Gretchen, I want you to meet my new nanny, Anna.”
At the sound of the woman’s name coming from Penny’s lips, I inadvertently pull Penny behind me and take a small step back. When Mrs. Gretchen turns around and smiles sweetly at Penny, my knees almost buckle. My worst fear about returning to Savannah has just come to pass, and the one reason for me to use a false identity is no longer necessary.
Standing before me is none other than Gretchen Jones. My mother.
Chapter seventeen
Aiden
Ihave no idea what’s going on, only that Anna is not happy to see Penny’s favorite Sunday School teacher. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. Gretchen’s last name was Jones until she married a deacon in our church five years ago. Now, her last name is Wilson.
I remember the first day that I met Gretchen almost nine years ago. She was sitting in the back of the church looking broken and haggard. When I asked her what was wrong, she cursed, spit at me, and demanded that I leave her alone. Instead of doing what she wanted, I sat down beside her and prayed. She didn’t appreciate it and muttered a few more curses before leaving.
It was a year later when I saw her again, and it wasn’t at church. It was at the local homeless shelter, where I often volunteer during the off-season. I would always sit with her whether she wanted me to or not. Over time, we eventually became friends. Occasionally, Gretchen was brave and shared with me how wretchedly she had treated her daughter and how the life she was living was her penance for being such an awful mother. Of course, I told her it was never too late to make amends and ask for forgiveness. She scoffed and told me that she didn’t deserve forgiveness after all the vile things she had done.
Gretchen never mentioned her daughter’s name to me nor told me any details of her misdeeds, and I never pushed for anything more than she was willing to give. I had quite a few chats with our pastor and eventually secured Gretchen a job at the church. It didn’t pay much, but it came with a small stipend and living space the size of a small studio apartment. She worked with Pastor Steven and his wife daily, doing odd jobs like dusting and vacuuming the sanctuary, washing dishes after an event, stuffing envelopes, and creating bulletins for the Sunday services.
The transformation in Gretchen from the day I first met her until now has been extraordinary and a miracle unto itself.
Gretchen’s eyes widen in disbelief when they connect with Anna’s. “Savannah, you’ve returned!”
Penny tugs on Gretchen’s shirt. “No, Mrs. Gretchen, this is An-na, my new nanny. She’s the best!”
Gretchen smiles warmly at my Penny, “My apologies, sweet child. I’ve missed my daughter so much that I must be imagining things.”
Anna mutters under her breath, and I barely make out the words, “More like misses the money.”
Thankfully, Penny doesn’t hear Anna, although Gretchen does. Gretchen hangs her head, and I can see how Anna’s words have hurt her. I want to comfort the older woman, who is very special to our family; but at the same time, Anna’s still reeling from Gretchen’s actions from so long ago.
“Are you coming over for our Easter barbeque, Mrs. Gretchen?” Penny asks, oblivious to the mounting tension in the room.
Gretchen sneaks a glance at Anna before answering Penny. “I don’t think so, Honey. Maybe another time? Mr. Wilson and I need a quiet night together this evening.”
Penny frowns, “But you come every year.”
With my daughter’s words still echoing like a cannon in a canyon, it dawns on Anna that Gretchen is more to our family than just being Penny’s Sunday school teacher. Gretchen is a friend. When Anna’s eyes lock with mine, I see the same hollowness I had noticed in the picture Swank had shown me, and her voice is devoid of any emotion when she speaks in a low and deadly tone, “I need to leave now before I say or do anything I might regret. I’ll be out front when you’re ready to go.”
“Anna…” I plead, grabbing her arm to stop her, hoping she’ll understand that I had no idea that Gretchen was her mother until now.
“Don’t, Aiden. Whatever you plan on saying, don’t. Let. Me. Go.”
I don’t think Anna simply means not letting her walk out of the room. She’s warning me not to pursue her at all. I release her arm and watch her hurry out the door, just shy of running. Penny tries to chase after Anna—confused by why her newest friend is visibly upset—only to be stopped by my dad, who blocks her path.
Gretchen sniffles, and her voice catches in her throat. “Savannah has every right to hate me, Aiden. But don’t give her the opportunity to close herself off to you. Savannah has so much love to give, but I never showed her how to give it.”
I wrap Gretchen in my arms, “Your daughter doesn’t know the woman you are now, Gretchen. She only knows the woman you were. I’ll do what I can to help her see the change.”
“Aiden, Dear, forgiveness cannot be forced. It has to be given freely. When the time is right, God will provide the opportunity for me to ask my beautiful daughter for forgiveness. It will be up to Savannah to choose whether or not she’ll grant it. Be there for my girl, and trust me, don’t push.” Gretchen pats my arm as she heads to another table to help a child finish up an art project.
“Are you ready to go, Sir?” Scott asks.
I glance over my shoulder and see my family waiting by the door alongside Jack and Jeremy. “I am. Do you think Anna will still be here?”
“Yes, Sir, I do. What transpired might have been very upsetting for her, but she removed herself from the situation in order to calm down enough to do her job. She’s a professional.”
Scott and I meet everyone else and head toward the church foyer, where we find Anna on the phone. She notices our arrival and puts on one of her pageant smiles before hanging up with whomever she is talking to.
