Haunted Nights, Chapter 28
by SIPort

Simone stared at the clock. It said 8:30. Unless her mother had changed a decade’s old routine, she knew exactly where she’d be this morning. Simone picked up the phone.

” Oh, you’re in Harmony?”

” No. I want to meet you. Today. In New York City.”

” Simone, I don’t understand.”

” Mom, you don’t have to understand. If you want to see me, you have to come to New York today. I’ll be at the top of the Empire State Building at 2  this afternoon.”

” Simone..”

” And, Mom. Don’t bring Daddy. Don’t even tell him. If I see him, I’m gone. This is between you and me, Mom.”

” Honey, now I’m so worried. Simone..”

” Be there, Mom. I’m counting on you.”

“ Simone..” Eve heard a click. “ Simone? Simone?”

Eve hung up the phone. She didn’t know what was up with Simone. Eve picked up the phone to call TC, but then heard Simone’s warnings about not telling TC, and hung up the phone. How was she going to do it? How was she going to get to New York? How was she going to clear her schedule? How could she get to New York and back? Eve picked up the phone.

” Julian Crane.”

” Julian, it’s me.”

” Eve. I’m surprised to hear from you.”

“ Simone called me.”

” She did? That’s wonderful! You must be happy.”

” I am, but…”

” But what?”

” She wants me to meet her in New York today. At the Empire State Building. She doesn’t want me to tell TC about any of it.”

” That’s curious. Do you have any idea why?”

“ No. I don’t know if I should be scared. Maybe she’s in so much trouble that she thinks she needs to talk to me first. Oh Julian, she’s my baby girl.”

” Eve, if she could call you and form a plan to meet you, I’m sure she’s fine. “

“ I hope so…I ..um…was calling because I thought maybe…”

” Eve…do you want to use my jet?”

” Um..I…”

Julian chuckled. “ Eve, it’s ok. You can have the use of it. In fact, I’ll go with you.”

” Julian…”

” Eve, if it’s good news, then we have nothing to worry about. If it’s bad news, then you’ll have a friend with you.”

“ You know Julian, you’re right. I could use a friend.”

” What time does she want you to meet her?”

” Thank you, Julian.”

” What? Using the second plane? Naw. I have some documents to drop off at the offices in New York. Great reason to use the plane. And, if I drop you there too, all the better.”

” Jonah, I’m so scared.”

” About what?”

” About knowing the truth. Scratch that. About getting confirmation of the truth. In the past couple of days, the image that I’ve had of my mother has crumbled and rebuilt itself a thousand times. My entire childhood has run through my mind like a continuous film. All the lessons I thought I had learned. Were they all lies?”

” Simone, I can’t answer that. I can only say, from where I sit, I think your parents must be damn special, because their daughter is.”

” Don’t try and make me feel better.”

” I’m not. I’m speaking the truth. Simone, keep an open mind towards your mother. Give her a chance.”

” A chance.”, Simone grumbled.

Simone looked through the lens of the viewfinder. She checked her watch, it was 1:30. Soon, her mother would be here, and she’d have her answers. She checked the door. So many times over the past hour, she had thought about just leaving and never seeing Eve. Go back to Virginia and just pretend that she didn’t find that picture. Keep on as if nothing had happened. And, everytime she got towards the door, she stopped. She thought of Warren Johnson. The look of pain in his eyes when he told her about his daughter. She had already grown to respect and care for the man, even before she suspected that he was her grandfather. If it’s the possibility that Warren WAS her grandfather, Simone needed to know. Her mother might not want to have anything to do with Warren, but if he was her grandfather, she was determined to have an open relationship with him.

“ Julian, I’m so nervous.”, Eve said, as she fidgeted in the limo. “ Can’t this car go any faster?”

” Eve, it’s Manhattan traffic. Not exactly the speediest in the world. You’ll get there in time. I promise.”

” Julian, I don’t know why I’m so nervous. After all, this is my little girl. That she called me should be a wonderful thing, right?”

” It is a wonderful thing.”

” But, she sounded different on the phone, Julian. She sounded older. Jaded.”

” Well Eve, you’ve told me the story as to why she left…I think Simone’s done some growing up while away.”

” I…I just wish I knew why she wanted to meet me alone. Why she insisted that I not tell TC.”

” Maybe she wants to ease back into her life in Harmony, and knew that you would be the less forceful parent. TC can be…well…ahem…a bit intimidating.”

Eve laughed. “ You’re right. TC loves his daughters.”

” Never said he didn’t. But, his personality can be a bit ‘ strong’ at times. Ah, here we are.”

Eve took a deep breath and exhaled. “ Well, I’m going to see my little girl.”

Eve got out of the limo and she saw that Julian was too. “ Julian, what are you doing?”

” I’m going with you.”

” Julian!”

” Eve, you don’t know what to expect. And, I promised you that I would be a friend and be there for you.”

” But, if Simone sees you.”

” We won’t go up together. There’s a great brewery in the building. Fresh, homegrown ale.”

” YOU go to a brewery?”

” New York is a city ripe full of hidden gems. I spent many a night on business trips in this town finding a lot of them. You go see Simone, and I’ll get some ale, then come upstairs to the Observation Deck. I’ll stay hidden, I promise.”

“ I don’t know..”

“ Eve. Go meet Simone.”

Eve and Julian went inside the building and bought tickets to the Observation Deck. Eve hugged Julian and went in the elevator to the top.

When the doors opened, Eve was the first one out. She scanned the Observation Deck, searching…searching, until she saw her, sitting on a bench. Eve ran over to her.

” SIMONE!” Eve grabbed her daughter into a strong hug. “ Oh Baby..Baby..Baby…I’ve missed you.” Simone could feel her mother’s tears, and before she knew it, she felt her own coming down. But, then she remembered why they were there, and she pulled her hand up so that she could push Eve away.

” Hi Mom.”, Simone said quietly.

Eve looked at her daughter’s eyes, and got a chill down her spine.

” Let’s talk, Mom. Let’s play ‘ to tell the truth’.”