Treasured Legacies (A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery) by Terri Reid Page A

  She
would run to the bathroom at night and turn on the water, she thought I
couldn’t hear her or I didn’t know, but I did.   She never talked to me about being sick, but I knew she was sick.   I tried to help her.   I got her water and food; I made her take her
medicine. I was really quiet so she could sleep.   I never told her about stuff that would worry
her.   But she still died anyway.”
    Dr. Springler turned to Mary. “Did you throw up this
morning?” she asked.
    Bradley and Mary’s eyes met, Mary’s brimming with tears in
sympathy for the little girl. Turning in her seat, she took Clarissa’s hands in
her own. “Clarissa, you are right,” she said. “I did throw up this morning. And
I threw up yesterday morning too.   And I
think I threw up at my office this afternoon.”
    Clarissa eyes widened and she inhaled sharply, releasing the
air in a stuttered shudder.
    “But, the reason I am throwing up is because there is a baby
growing inside me,” she said. “And that often causes women to throw up.”
    Clarissa face turned from fear to wonder. “A baby?” she
asked softly.
    Mary nodded and placed her hand on Clarissa’s cheek. “A baby
brother or baby sister for you,” she said. “How do you feel about being a big
sister?”
    Her bright and eager smile erased all doubts in Mary’s mind.
And when Clarissa wrapped her arms around Mary’s waist and hugged her, Mary
felt her heart melt with gratitude and love.   She kissed the top of Clarissa’s head. “You will be such a wonderful big
sister,” she said.
    Clarissa looked up at her. “Will the baby call you mom?” she
asked.
    Mary nodded. “Yes, I think so.”
    “Then I’ll call you mom too,” she replied, and then nestled
back into Mary’s arms.
    “Clarissa, that is a good decision,” Dr. Springler said.
“But are you still worried about Mary?”
    Slipping out of Mary’s arms, she sat back in her seat,
thought about the doctor’s question for a moment and nodded.
    “Are you worried about Mary or are you worried that you are
going to be left alone again?” the doctor asked.
    Clarissa clasped her hands together tightly and avoided
looking at Bradley and Mary and nodded again.
    “You’re worried that you are going to be left alone?” the
doctor urged.
    “What if they don’t want me anymore?” Clarissa whispered,
terrified at speaking the words aloud.
    “That’s a very scary thing to consider,” the doctor replied.
“And it’s very brave of you to say it out loud.”
    She turned to Bradley. “How long did you search for your
daughter?” she asked.
    Bradley immediately remembered the day he and Jeannine were
in the doctor’s office looking at the tiny figure on the ultrasound
screen.   He knew he had fallen in love
with his daughter at that moment. “Since before she was born,” he said. “I
never stopped looking for her.”
    “Are there things you did that would prove to her you never
stopped looking?   That you always wanted
her?” she asked.
    “He painted the room pink,” Mary whispered, remembering the
anguished joy in Jeanine’s voice when she realized Bradley had still painted
the nursery as they had planned.
    “Pardon me?” Dr. Springler asked.
    Bradley turned to Clarissa. “Just before your mother was taken
by the bad man, we went to the doctor and had an ultrasound.   That’s a special machine that lets the
doctors see how the baby is doing inside the mother.   During that ultrasound, we saw that you were
a little girl. I was so thrilled that I was going to be your father. On the way
home, I insisted we stop at the hardware store and buy pink paint for your
bedroom.   Your mom thought I was pretty
silly, because we had just painted your room white.   But, I wanted my little girl to have a pink
room. Then, your mom was taken.   I
searched for her and for you.   I followed
every lead and went all over the country looking for you.   But when I didn’t have any leads and when I
was just