Moving to stand by Reno, Journey began to tear the envelope open. Lou watched from the bar, her face an unreadable mask.
“Oh, God. Reno!” Journey couldn’t believe what she was seeing. In her hand she held an albumen-coated, card mounted photograph.
Reno leaned in closer, realized what he was looking at, then pulled it from Journey’s grasp. “Give me that.”
“What’s wrong?” Lou asked, recognizing the look of upset on her friend’s face.
Journey couldn’t speak. She’d turned white as a sheet.
Reno handed the photo to Lou as Myra crowded in to see what was causing her great niece such distress.
What they discovered was a cabinet card depicting a grave next to a stone strewn path. The headstone was engraved with a name and two dates.
RENO BLACK
1843 – 1869
Journey doubled over, pain shooting through her like arrows.
Placing his arm around her, Reno gathered her close. “It’s okay, honey. I’m still here.”
“You can’t go back,” she gasped. “Something bad is going to happen.”
“Knowing my friends, they probably put this up as a memorial for me. Doesn’t mean I’m buried there.” He looked to Lou for support. “I’m not dead. I’m here.”
“But what does it mean?” Journey searched his face.
Myra put an arm around Journey. “Don’t get upset. This may mean Reno decides to stay here with us.”
Lou said nothing, which was unusual for Lou.
“Come with me.” Reno took Journey by the arm. “Let’s put this away and think about something else for a few minutes.”
“Right.” Myra watched them with concern. “I’ll put on a pot of coffee.”
“We won’t be long,” Journey assured her aunt. “I just need a minute.”
Lou moved in behind them. “We need to talk.”
“Of course,” Reno assured her. “I’m sure we have a lot to go over.”
Lou nodded. “We certainly do. I’ll be waiting.”
Out of the others’ sight, Journey leaned against her bedroom wall. “Why would anyone take a photo of that and save it?”
Reno struggled to find something to say. “Maybe they were proud to have done something considerate and wanted to preserve a memory.” Talking about his own grave made him feel as if he were outside of himself. “Since taking photographs has become more commonplace, people seem to take pictures of everything. Even dead relatives. They dress them up in their best, sit them in a chair…”
“Reno! Please!” Journey admonished him. “You’re not helping.”
“Sorry.” He smiled and she gave in to a nervous laugh.
“It’s okay.” She wiped her eyes. “It was just a shock – seeing that headstone with your name on it.”
“I know.” He took her by the hand and nodded toward the bathroom. “Go pee on that stick and tell me if we’re having a baby.”
“Now?” She let him pull her along.
“I want to know.”
Moving into the small room, she found the test still in the bag lying on the vanity. Glancing up, she caught Reno’s gaze in the mirror. His large frame filled the doorway. “I’d rather not have an audience.”
He held up his hands. “All right. I’ll be right outside the door.”
Alone, she couldn’t bring herself to look at her reflection. She felt vulnerable and exposed. Raw. After opening the box, she pulled out the testing stick and laid it on the edge of the bathtub. Once she was on the toilet, she held the stick and waited.
“What’s going on?”
She took in a breath, holding it a second before exhaling. “I’m nervous. I can’t pee.”
“How can I help?”
“Talk about something else.”
“Your great-aunt looks just like Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote.”
“You’ve been watching too much TV. Who does Lou look like?”
“Veronica Mars.”
Journey giggled. “How about me?”
“Oh, there’s no one who comes even…”
“Reno! Pick someone.”
“Buff the Vampire Slayer.”
“Oh, Lord, you’re reaching now. And it’s Buffy, not Buff.” She closed her eyes to concentrate. Eventually, her patience was rewarded, and she held the stick in the small stream with a shaking hand. “There. Done.”
Reno opened the door. “What does it say?”
“Nothing, yet.” She adjusted her clothing and washed her hands. “It takes a few minutes, but it should show a plus sign for yes and a minus sign for no.”
He came into the bathroom and they sat down on the side of the tub together. “Did you look at the back of that picture? There might be a date the photo was made. I still bet they put that headstone up when they figured out I wasn’t coming back.”
“What do you mean? You’re planning on going back. Unless…” She let her voice trail off. “This is confusing.”
“I know it is. Let’s just continue with our plan and not worry about that stupid picture.”
“I’ll try.” Journey just couldn’t get over seeing his name on the headstone. For years, she’d known he was beyond her reach – but now, he wasn’t. She slipped her hand through his arm, laying her head on his shoulder. “Just let me hold onto you for a second.”
They sat still, leaning on one another until the requisite minutes for the test results had passed. “Shall I look?” he asked.
“No, I will.”
Reno watched as Journey stood and approached the testing stick slowly, as if she feared it might reach out to bite her. Love for her welled up in his heart. What he wouldn’t give for things to be normal for them. Just two
