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Jo relayed what happened next, her mother looking increasingly agitated and Susan’s face unreadable. Skipping over her fainting spell, she knew the penny had already dropped for Susan as Jo heard her sharp intake of breath. Jo quickly went through her confrontation with Chris and his response, but she had started to cry and she worried she wasn’t making much sense at all. She added what Dare had told her about the incident with Rod Wingate at the docks and then looked pleadingly at her father to continue.
But before he could, SeaAnna stood up and said, “That’s enough. I don’t want to hear any more. I don’t believe it. This guy could be anybody, really, lots of people have those initials. You probably led him on in the conversation Jo, and so he was just answering you like you wanted him to.”
“SeaAnna, please, sit,” said Mike. “I’ve spoken to him. He thinks maybe DNA testing is in order even though he understands what happened and he’s not denying anything.”
“Oh, he wants testing, does he?” Susan suddenly spoke out, her face red and her eyes glaring. “Thinks there was someone else after him? He’s a son of a bitch, and if it is him, I’ll have nothing to do with him.” Her eyes went to her granddaughter. “Jo, there’s brandy in the cabinet above the fridge. Please pour me some. Now.”
Jo did as she was told but SeaAnna was railing at Mike. “When did you see him? What did you say? How can you be so sure?”
“I’m not totally certain, SeaAnna. Please calm down a bit. This is not a conversation I ever thought I’d be having and I’m sure I’m doing it all wrong but I think he is your father and Jo’s grandfather and we need to figure this out reasonably. He told me he’d already had testing done because his mother’s family had a crazy lineage and he wanted to know more about it.”
“Wait a minute,” SeaAnna interrupted again. “Jo, you did testing as part of a class you took, didn’t you? And no connections were made. So, that settles that.”
“Mom,” Jo said gently. “I don’t know what test Chris took but there are a few companies out there doing DNA testing, so it’s possible we used different companies and then we wouldn’t have been connected. Dad, any chance he told you the company name?”
“He did, it’s the one you see on TV all the time. If you tell me the name, I’d remember. It’s Family, um…”
“Family Tree,” said Jo. “And I took my test through Exploring Heritage. So, they are different. Mom, would you get tested?”
“I would not,” SeaAnna stated flatly. “I think this conversation has gone far enough. Mike, I want to go back to the motel. Jo, we’ll be checking out in the morning.” She stood up and began walking toward to door.
“Mom,” Jo cried out. “Please don’t be angry with me. I knew this would be an unbelievable shock but I don’t want to be blamed for this. I thought you and Gran should know. Dad thought you should know.” Tears were flowing freely now and she went over to hug SeaAnna but SeaAnna did not respond except to say, “So this was why you were so friendly to me today. And here I thought it was an honest expression, but you were trying to soften me up for this blow. Mike, please, I’d like to go now.”
“And I’m going to bed,” said Susan without expression. She had been lost in the drama but now Jo, Mike, and SeaAnna saw that the one person who might be the most impacted had said almost nothing to this point. She had known and loved Chris Smith. Jo and SeaAnna only knew of his existence in some distant way. “Jo, don’t disturb me. I don’t want to see him, if it is him. I find it difficult to believe the story about Ron, scumbag that he is. He probably can’t remember yesterday let alone that summer. Just because you think this man is the Chris I knew, doesn’t mean he is. I have nothing more to say and, Jo, I’m serious, leave me alone tonight.”
Jo opened her mouth but the look she got from her dad made he close it and just nod in reply. Susan limped slightly down the hallway and shut the door. When Jo looked back, her mom was already halfway down the steps. Mike stood on the landing, arms open to her, and Jo walked over, needing that hug badly.
“Oh Dad, that was awful,” she sobbed.
“JoBell, what could you possibly have expected? This is not just a bombshell, it’s like an atomic bomb of news. I think you told me Dare said that each of you had to react in your own way. And you are. And they will. Give your mom and grandmother some time. They may see things differently tomorrow or they may not. Either way, we just have to wait.” He rubbed his hand behind her back. It was soothing and she was calming down a bit. “And I think your grandmother was pretty firm about not being disturbed. So, don’t do it. They both have all the facts as much as we know them. Now they have to deal with their emotions. Try to get some sleep yourself. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“But Mom said you’re leaving,” she said softly.
“Not sure about that,” replied Mike. “But let me handle your mom.”
He kissed her on the forehead and continued, “And don’t dwell on what your mom just said. She is totally upset and you’re an easy target for her to lash out on. I know you’ve just worked through some stuff in your head and heart with her. Try to let this go and please keep trying, because it’s going to be worth it. OK?”
Jo hugged him again and waved as he walked down the steps and got into the car. She watched them drive away and felt more miserable than she had in a long time. The house had seemed almost happy during dinner and now it felt empty and cold. She walked up to her grandmother’s door but heard sobbing, and realized that her dad was right. This was not the time for her to interfere.
She got into bed and tossed and turned for hours, working out scenarios in her head until she was exhausted. She finally fell into a restless sleep, her dreams a jumble of the people in her life, all of them bobbing up and down in a stormy ocean with jellyfish all around them.
When she awoke at six thirty, she felt tired and sad. She showered quickly and noticed that Gran’s door was still closed. She tiptoed into the kitchen and grabbed her usual yogurt. She found a piece of paper and wrote, ”I love you, Gran,” and added a big heart and a rough drawing of a smiling jellyfish. Then she exited the house and made her way to the motel. If nothing else, with the island re-opening tomorrow to tourists, she would have a busy day and that was probably a good thing.
She was thinking of how she really didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye to her parents when she pedaled into the parking lot and was surprised to see their car in its space on the oceanside. She was equally surprised when, not long after she turned on the “Open” sign and checked the phone and computer for messages, her dad appeared, coming up the steps.
“Mornin’, Jo” he smiled at her. “How did you sleep? Can you get me a cup of coffee?”
“I thought you’d be on the road by now, for sure. I’m surprised,” Jo said.
“Your mom and I were up for a long time last night as you might have imagined. We talked until the wee hours and so she’s still asleep. I didn’t want to mess with the coffee in the room, so I thought I’d grab some here. You still have the coffeemaker for guests, don’t you?”
“It’s good that you reminded me. Probably need to put in some fresh water and all. Haven’t used it since before the storm,” she replied. She busied herself with cleaning the pot and getting the coffee brewed. “So, you’ll leave when she wakes up? You’ll stop by, won’t you?”
“Actually,” said Mike, taking the mug from her. “We’re not leaving today. And she said once she gets up and dressed and has her coffee, she’d like to have some time with you, just the two of you. And before you start thinking of everything bad it could be, I think she just wants to talk to you and start to make things right. I assured her you weren’t setting her up yesterday, and we went through everything again last night in painstaking detail. And she has some news for you. So, I’ll man the ship here while you talk. I have no clue what to do but I can manage.”
Jo let what her dad had said sink in for a moment before she answered him.
“I appreciate that, Dad, but today will be crazy with the island re-opening tomorrow. Let me see if I can call Lauren and get her to come in. She’s worked part-time for most of the summer, but since the storm, I haven’t had to call her in. She’ll be happy for the money.” She appeased her dad, “Not that you can’t handle it, but she knows the system. It will give you a chance to just drive around the island and survey things. Maybe you can go down to the docks. Dare will be getting ready for charters booked from tomorrow on, but I’m sure he’d like to see you.”
