Savich was chewing on his bagel as he listened. He looked across the small table at Joanna and Ethan, the two of them sitting close together, their arms touching, their body language screaming intimacy. A blind man could see it, and it had all come about in only a couple of weeks. He was looking at two people who’d battled death together and beat the odds, their child with them. Yes, he thought, Autumn was their child now. He wondered when Joanna and Ethan had realized their future was together. All he knew was that when they left the hospital, Autumn between them, they’d be a family. Would they all go back to Titusville and move in with Big Louie, Lula, and Mackie? He asked Ethan, “Who’s taking care of your critters?”
“Faydeen, my dispatcher, moved in right after, well, after Blessed took us away. She said Lula has taken over the roost. Even my black Lab, Big Louie, won’t cross her. Faydeen reported that Mackie, the little wuss, sleeps under her armpit to avoid Lula. She tells him to search out his machismo and stand up to Lula, but Mackie just burrows deeper.”
Savich saw a wonderful picture in his mind. A bachelor party for Ethan at his Georgetown gym with a bunch of hell-raising DEA and FBI guys who would joyfully beat the crap out of each other before eating a dozen pizzas at Dizzy Dan’s. He laughed. Three pairs of eyes fastened on him. Savich cleared his throat. “Just thinking,” he said.
“About what?” Joanna said.
“Sorry, can’t divulge that, national security.”
Ethan laughed. “I’ll make him tell me later, Jo.”
Joanna said, “Do you know Uncle Tollie finally made it back from the Everglades? I spoke to him, and he’s on his way here.” She shook her head and gave Ethan a look. “If it weren’t for Uncle Tollie living in Titusville, I never would have gone there, I wouldn’t have ever met Ethan or you guys or—well, I’m glad he does.”
Ethan said, “Do you know the last thing Autumn remembers clearly is the cave we went to in the Titus Hitch Wilderness?” He paused a moment, played with his coffee spoon. “All of it was such a shock to her, it’s as if she can’t let herself remember yet. I asked her if she called you, Savich, and she said she tried but she couldn’t reach you.”
It was a blow. Savich said, “No memory at all of what she did to Victor and Blessed?”
Ethan shook his head.
“What she did, it was incredible. She saved both Sherlock’s life and mine.”
Joanna said, “It’s hard enough to say it out loud, much less bring myself to believe it, to accept it. How could she have done such a thing?”
Ethan said, “We may never know, but I’ll tell you, in that underground vault of Theodore Backman’s, Joanna and I watched her change. She became so powerful it scared the bejesus out of us. Is her ability gone now? Did she burn out? Maybe so.”
Sherlock said, “As you said, maybe she’s not ready to remember all of it.”
Joanna said, “Autumn will come into her own, whatever that may be. And what does it matter if there won’t be any psychic gifts in her future? I have my child back.”
SAVICH STOOD in the doorway, watching Ethan and Joanna stroke their fingers through Autumn’s hair, lightly touching her cheek.
He saw Autumn open her eyes, beautiful blue eyes that were bright and clear, no shadows of pain anymore. He saw her smile up at her mother and at Ethan. Joanna said, “Dillon and Sherlock are here, sweetie.”
“Dillon’s here? Where is he?”
“He’s standing in the doorway.”
Autumn turned her head, looked at him, and gave him a huge smile. Dillon, she called to him.
* * * THE END * * *