Mark looked at the woman whom he could stand and look eye to eye with. She was short but strong. She didn’t have on makeup like his mother put on every day. She had what Grandpa Sam would say was a fresh-scrubbed face. The baby looked more like Mr. Martin. He had a rather prominent nose. But his eyes were the color of moss, like his mother.
“We were just talking about you this morning,” Edie said, sitting down.
“Uh oh, what’d did I do?” Mia asked, worried.
“No, nothing like that. Go on, Mark, show her.”
Mark held the book out so she could see it but Brian couldn’t grab it.
“That looks a bit like me,” she said, laughing. “I wonder who painted it?”
“Why, we didn’t think to look. I got the bible at a yard sale. I like books, especially bibles, with pictures in them. Mark, look for an illustrator’s credit.”
Mark looked in the back and shook his head.
“Try the copyright page,” Edie suggested.
“Ee mile Nay er.”
“Um, can I see that? I think the name’s French,” Mia said, looking at the name. “Émile Neyer. I’m related to the Neyers. I wonder if it’s a relative.”
“I bet a family member posed for the picture,” Edie said, excited.
“There are artists and clowns on that side of the family. I think that’s where I got my odd sense of humor,” Mia admitted. “Thank you for showing me. There is an interesting story that involves a picture and my grandfather, Neyer, finally meeting me just last week.”
“Coffee first. Mark, run upstairs and get the company box.”
Mia was puzzled about the box until she saw that it contained baby toys.
“I wash them after every chew,” Edie said as Mark opened the Ziploc bags.
Once Brian was settled down on the clean sheet with the toys, Mia began her story. “I was raised by very distracted parents. My parents are archeologists and anthropologists. My mother didn’t talk at all about her family. She was only interested in whatever subject she was writing about. I didn’t even find out that I had relatives on my mother’s side of the family until my cousin was doing a genealogy search and asked her. Most people would think this is odd or maybe there was some kind of falling out between my mother and my grandparents, but if you met my mother, you would understand. I suspect she may be a bit autistic. She is very unfriendly and not nurturing.”
“That’s sad,” Mark said. “My mom is busy too.”
“Earlier this summer, I went to the beach and…” Mia told the story of the contest, the poster, and her aunt seeing it. “She called my grandfather, and he hired an investigator, and he found me. His name is Émile Neyer. He’s from Alsace, France. So you see, I’ve had a happy ending from an embarrassing situation.”
“Are you mad at your mother for not telling you?” Mark asked.
“Honestly, I’ve gotten used to her ways. I’m sad that I didn’t have them in my life when I was younger, but I’m overjoyed to have found them now. Family is so important, Mark. My mother isn’t perfect, but neither am I.”
“My dad is in a coma,” Mark said. “They call it ‘locked-in’. He can’t move, but he can open his eyes. He needs special care and is in a veterans’ home in Chicago.”
“That must be so hard for you, Mark.”
“He can’t talk to me. I have no idea if he hears me.”
Edie watched the young woman and her grandson interact, surprised by how Mark was opening up to her.
“If we found a way for you to talk to your father and he back to you, would this make you happy? Even if what he has to say is sad?” Mia asked.
Mark thought a moment. “I guess so, but we can’t afford that machine…”
“What machine?” Mia asked, interested.
Mark got up and ran upstairs. He came back down with an article. He handed it to Mia.
“EEG technology, huh. Would you mind if I borrow this and show it to Ted? You see, my husband is a bit of a genius. He invents things. See this?” Mia picked up one of the necklaces that she wore. “This little round bead is monitoring my heartbeat, right now. It normally is picked up by Bluetooth and sent to a computer so my husband can watch over me when I’m investigating.”
“Cool.”
“Mia, what kind of investigating do you do?” Edie asked.
Mia frowned. “This is where you are going to politely ask me to leave.”
“Nonsense. Tell us.”
“I’m a paranormal investigator,” Mia said and waited for the roll of the eyes.
Edie asked, “Like ghosts and things like that?”
“Yes. I’m also a sensitive. I may be able to help Mark communicate with his father, depending on how deep his dad is locked-in.”
“Nonsense,” Mark said.
“Come here, both of you. Let me show you. I’m going to ask you, Mark, to think of something - I’ll tell you after I explain – and I’m going to ask your grandmother to reply by thinking. Then I’m going to tell you both what you said to each other.” Mia took off her gloves and took each of their hands. “Mark, you ask your grandmother about something you’ve never asked her before, and, Edie, you reply.”
Mia smiled and dropped their hands.
“Mark, you asked if your grandmother thought I was a charlatan, and Edie said that you should always give people a chance, even crazy ones.”
“How did you?” Edie started.
“Oh man!” Mark exclaimed.
“Wait, I want to try something harder. It may not work. My cousin Sabine is better at this than I am, but I’d like to try. Mark, you’re going to ask Edie a question, and, Edie, you’re going to hear it in your head. You need to think back the answer, and, Mark, if all goes right, you’re going to hear that in your head. It may tingle or
