Gateway Chronicles: The Ballencoo Arch

The day she had had been wonderful. That last fitting of her wedding dress! Sunny stepped into the puddle of satin and the seamstress slowly inched the seed pearl-encrusted bodice up over Sunny's body. The sides of the zipper along the side of the dress slowly enclosed Sunny. It fit her like a glove! "It's perfect!" It came like a pronouncement from a heavenly host. It was perfect.

"All your hard work has paid off!" Her mother had announced with a smile that quivered slightly as she gazed at her daughter's image in the 3-way mirrors.

"And I can still breathe!" Sunny sighed, receiving chuckles from the seamstress and her mother.

"Sunny, will Jason be joining us for lunch?" Maire O'Neil asked.

Sunny stepped from the dress and sat on the bench across from where her mother stood. She shook her head and unbuckled the strap of the shoes she would be wearing with her wedding gown. Sunny shook her head. The last few weeks, Jason had been distracted, not returning her calls, and short-tempered with her. She chalked it up to pre-wedding jitters. So, rather than worry her mother, she carefully packed her shoes into the box and sighed in disappointment. "No, when we spoke last night, he said he had some sort of meeting with a client."

Maire O'Neil nodded. "Well then, your old mum will have to do."

Sunny looked up, her smile happy and carefree. "My mum will do just fine!"

After the fitting, mother and daughter were off to Ricco's for lunch. They entered the bistro, and the waitress greeted them warmly. "Welcome to Ricco's. Would you like to have lunch out on the deck?"

"Sure!" Sunny replied looking at her mother, "That okay with you?"

"It's such a beautiful day," Maire replied. "Outside is fine with me."

The waitress took two menus, two tightly rolled royal blue napkins with eating utensils, and nodded to them, "This way please," She headed down the center aisle of the restaurant. The bistro was just beginning to fill with the downtown lunch crowd, most preferring to eat up front near the large glass windows that faced the street. The people who preferred to dine in the brown leather booths were mostly couples who wanted to be tucked privately away. The rest were out on the deck that looked out on a small pond with a scattering of ducks that paddled serenely around accepting crackers and croutons from diners sitting closest to the water.

As Sunny followed the waitress she glanced to the right and then to the left to allow her eyes to adjust to the dimly lit restaurant. She spotted the dessert cart loaded with delicious cakes and other confections. Sunny felt her mouth water as her keen sense of smell caught the sweet vanilla and sugary aroma from the crowning seven-layer chocolate cake! Sunny's gaze slid over the glistening frosting of the cake and onto something that made her stumble to a standstill. There was Maya, curled provocatively and purring in the ear of a man. Maire stepped around her daughter to prevent a collision and looked in the direction Sunny was staring. "Oh!"

There was no mistaking the scene. At that moment, the sun seemed to shine in from the windows casting a spotlight on the couple. There was Maya, her best friend, with Jason, and the way they looked at one another, the way they touched one another, made Sunny's heart shatter into a million terrible pieces! 

Maire's eyes left the scene to fasten on her daughter's face. She felt a fiery twisting pain in her chest! She clutched her handbag to her bosom and reached out to Sunny with her free hand.

The longing hunger in Maya's eyes as Jason took her well-manicured hand in his and kissed away the chocolate from her fingers was when Sunny reacted! Maire took hold of her daughter's wrist. Sunny stopped and turned to look at her mother with terrible eyes. Maire felt something deep inside her coil away in sudden fear. She took her hand from Sunny's wrist as if she'd been burned and stepped back - the young woman was a stranger!

Sunny strolled over and the two of them looked up at her first with agitation at being interrupted then surprised when they realized who stood at their table. The scene was frozen for the space of a few heartbeats. "Sunny! Sunny, this is not what you think," Jason began. Maya jerked her hand from Jason's grip. "Oh of course it is, Jason." She looked up at Sunny with a gleam of triumph in her eyes, "We were just trying to find a way to tell you."

Sunny said nothing, but she could feel everything around her begin to catch fire and burn before her eyes! She vaguely heard Jason saying something to her mother and attempting to explain it to Sunny, but his words faded off as she turned blazing emerald eyes on him. She looked down and noticed Jason had not ordered dessert, it looked like they were going to share a piece of cake. She frowned and looked around. The dessert cart was standing there and the young man serving other diners was looking at her with a frightened look. "You two don't have to share," Sunny stepped over and took the entire cake from the dessert cart and with one carefully aimed flip of her hands, lobbed the entire chocolate layer cake into Jason and Maya's lap, "Dessert is on me!" It splattered over them both, Maya squealed her outrage looking down in horror as she picked at her expensive silk sweater covered in chocolate.

Sunny gave them both a tightly controlled smile, "Oh my bad; I'm wrong, it's on you, isn't it? And of course, it wouldn't be complete without a diamond ring to top it all off!" She pulled the engagement ring off her left hand and tossed it into the chocolate mess, turned on her heel, and stormed out of the bistro with her mother flying after her and shocked whispers following in her wake.

Sunny made it as far as the door of her mother's sedan. She slumped against the car and felt the fire of rage snuff out and sadness erupt from deep in the pit of her gut. Maire reached her daughter and as she got to her, horrible, crippling anguish hit her! She stumbled to the car next to her daughter, tore open her purse, and fought to find her set of car keys. It was then Sunny drew in a great gasp of air and the first of great wrenching cries seared her throat! From somewhere in her grief, she was aware of her mother settling her in the back of the sedan. Sunny lay across the back seat, buried her face into the lap blanket, twisted her fingers tightly into the softness, and began to scream!

Maire got into the car and somehow managed to drive away. She glanced up with a terrified look to the rear-view mirror and saw Jason standing on the sidewalk where their car had just been parked. He looked pale, then she saw Maya slither up and take Jason's arm, curling her French-manicured fingers around his bicep. Anger rushed into her, and she became very sharply focused! She slowed the car to normal speed and pressed the button on the steering wheel, "Call Dr. Larry Turner," she announced. The synced smartphone chimed softly, "Calling Doctor Larry Turner; mobile." It rang three times, "Maire! How are you?"

Sunny's sobbing screams were muffled in the car blanket in the back seat, but they could be heard, and Maire had to speak louder. "Larry, I'm sorry to call you on your day off --- but could you meet me and Sunny at the house?"

"Right away, Maire."

 Larry Turner was a family friend of Sunny's parents, and he was waiting for them in the circular drive of the O'Neil home. Maire pulled up and parked the car. He yanked the back door open and climbed into the back seat of the car with his bag. "What happened?"

Quickly Maire explained and he set his mouth grimly and pulled a vial and syringe from his bag. "It's a sedative," he murmured to Maire, and then to Sunny said: "It'll make you sleep, honey."

Sunny felt the cold chill of the alcohol pad on her arm and then the sting of the needle. When he helped her from the back seat, the sedative was already beginning to work. Together her mother and the doctor helped get Sunny upstairs and into bed. Sunny fell into a numb dreamless sleep.

February 10th: 2:45am

"Yes, I'm thinking now it would be best," Maire said into the receiver of the remote telephone. She paced in front of the bedroom windows, and with each pass, she stopped and looked out into the indigo night.

"Maire, child ---what's changed your mind?"

"I haven't changed my mind about anything," Maire said her voice tight with unshed tears. "I—I just am so worried about Sunny. I've never seen her like this before! I—I don't know what to do for her—I think maybe coming to stay with you will help her---maybe you can help her. Make her forget? – You can do that still, can't you? I-I just don't know what else to do --"

"Sunny is of course welcome to come and stay as long as she wishes," Fiona said softly, "I just can't believe the boy could have done such a terrible thing."

"I know," Maire whispered. She paused in front of the window again and looked out. The sky was beginning to lighten, the flush of the sun tinged the sky pale pink. "I just don't know what to do for her – Oh, Aunt Skye – I swear I heard her – felt her heart shatter! Oh my God ---I think I felt it!"

"Shush now," Fiona's soft soothing, and calming voice reached out over the thousands of miles and Maire felt a feeling of peace envelop her like a warm blanket, "It is over now. Send her home, send her to me!"

"And something else ----," Maire said and felt her words dry in her throat as she remembered that look in Sunny's eyes.

"What dear?" Fiona whispered. "What else?"

"I may have imagined it all," Maire whispered into the phone. "But there was something in Sunny's eyes today that I've never seen before. I-I honestly didn't recognize my child for a moment! You don't think that --" Maire let what she was saying vanish into the air.

There was silence on the other end of the phone line, "I'm sure it was just her terrible disappointment," Fiona responded.

Maire nodded her head, looked over at her image in the mirror, and pressed her lips together resolutely. "Yes; maybe you're right. It was nothing. Aunt Skye, remember--."

 "Aye," Fiona's voice was sharp as it reached Maire's ear, "I remember!"

February 10th - 3:30 pm

When Sunny woke it was the middle of the next afternoon. She rolled to her side and looked around her old room. It was nearly the same, except her mother had moved the treadmill into the room. It stood folded up in the corner. Sunny had walked, trotted, ran, and wheezed miles on the thing! She stared at it dispassionately – she looked at it without seeing it or anything in the room. She looked past the treadmill to the window seat. The afternoon sun was shining in, and the dust motes danced and sparkled to splash on the dark blue Persian carpet.

 Sunny sat up, swung her feet around, and rested them on the floor. She scrunched her toes down into the pile of the carpet studying the intricate designs and colors of the rug, and the shell pink of her toes digging into the deep blue. She wanted to sink into the rich sapphire blue and get lost.

She sighed and stood up. She shuffled over to the dresser, glancing at her reflection in the mirror, and scrubbed her hands over her face. She looked as terrible as she felt!

She checked the drawers of her dresser and found everything she needed. Sunny showered, dressed, and sat once again on the edge of her bed to stare at the floor. Whatever the doctor had given her had made her numb. It was very quiet in the house, almost as if someone had died. She sighed. There had been a death – and she felt angry.

She looked around the room again and realized that she could not continue sitting inert and waiting for change – change was not coming! She stood and walked to the door and as she put her hand on the doorknob, she glanced over her shoulder to look out the window. Perched on a limb of the oak tree that grew close to the house was a raven. It appeared to be waiting. Without knowing why, she walked over to the window seat and looked out. "Other friends have flown before—on the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before," she whispered to the bird. It hopped closer to the window and angled one black beady eye at her. Sunny waited for it to answer. When it did not, she smiled sadly and finished the quote. "Then the bird said 'Nevermore.'"

She turned away, left her bedroom, and went downstairs to the kitchen. Her mother was sitting in the breakfast room talking on the phone. When she saw Sunny, she quietly told the person she had to go.

"Would you like something to eat, Sunny?"

Sunny nodded. "Yes, I think I would."

"What would you like, dear?"

"The usual, I guess," Sunny murmured and went to the refrigerator, looked in, found the carton of orange juice, and pulled it out. She got a water glass from the cabinet and poured a full glass of juice. Her mother began toasting two slices of wheat bread and glanced warily at her daughter as she sat at the breakfast bar with her glass of juice.

Sunny drank her juice in silence then she looked to her right at the small stack of paint cards. "Are you thinking of painting the kitchen Mom?"

Maire smiled there was something normal to talk about! "Yes, I was telling your father just a few nights ago that I was getting tired of the pale yellow and thinking of going with a stronger color."

Sunny studied the paint cards and pulled a lime green and bright clear turquoise blue. "How about these?"

Maire glanced over her shoulder at the paint cards Sunny slid closer to where her mother stood. "I do like the lime green," She said pulling the toast from the toaster and putting it on a plate. "Maybe I could find some material to recover the banquette cushions?"

"You could draw from those pictures you and Daddy took while you were in St. Thomas," Sunny said, "Those of the fishing boats, painted all different bright colors were great."

Maire sighed as she remembered the vacation. That was before Jason, before this terrible shock. Before was such a lovely time. "Oh, that was a wonderful trip!"

Sunny took the toast and went once again to the refrigerator and pulled out the butter and the jam. She buttered her toast, put a dollop of jam on the plate, and proceeded to eat. Maire and Sunny continued to discuss past vacations, paint for the kitchen, the material needed to recover the cushions, and what to choose for curtains.

Then Sunny put down the last piece of toast and looked into her mother's eyes. "Mama, why didn't they just tell me?"

As Maire fought to find an explanation, Sunny began to cry again. The sobs wracked her body violently, Maire rushed to her daughter gathered her up in her arms, and gently rocked her. This time Maire did not feel the terrible lancing heat of Sunny's anger, only normal disappointment, and sadness. She still did not know what to tell her daughter.

Later In the Evening

Sunny had picked at her dinner and then decided to turn in early. She showered and dressed in pajamas that were still in her dresser drawer along with other clothing that she had left behind.

She sat up in bed with a sketchbook in her lap and several sketch pencils. An hour had passed, and she had not made one mark on the paper. It was still blank. How could she have been so naive?

Sunny put away her sketching pencils and glanced at the clock at her bedside. It was late and she felt hungry. No reason to continue to deny herself now, she could eat anything she wanted and there would be no one to snatch it away from her or shame her. Sunny did not particularly watch everything she ate but everyone else did! It had been that way since her freshman year of high school. Sunny wasn't particularly athletic, but she did like swimming and soccer. She was a healthy young woman and curvy like her mother. During her sophomore year, she twisted her knee during a soccer game and was sidelined for the whole season. That essentially put an end to her soccer career. Her best friend, Maya had coached, cajoled, and coerced her unrelentingly as she began to put on extra weight; that began her constant and strict regime of dieting. Sunny convalesced from the knee injury and from that point on been on a perpetual diet.

Together they entered college. Sunny pursued the arts and Maya, like her father, was well on track to a career in law. They were as different as night and day. Sunny was a curvy Irish girl with deep russet hair, emerald-green eyes, and creamy white skin. Maya was a tall and willowy creature, with golden blonde hair, icy-blue eyes, and skin burnished bronzed from the sun and daily tanning salon treatments. Maya was keen and sharp-witted. Where Sunny gave everyone the benefit of the doubt; Maya was suspicious of everyone! Maya also knew the calorie count of everything edible on earth! She monitored everything that went into her mouth, and she was just as vigilant about what went into Sunny's mouth especially when Jason arrived on the scene!

Sophomore Year College – Three years earlier

Enter Jason Thompson. He was a GQ picture of perfection! Jason was tall and lean with a dazzling smile and impish blue eyes that crackled with merriment.

Maya lounged at the foot of Sunny's bed, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "Sunny, it's just for one crummy evening!"

"I've got so much homework to catch up on, Maya!" Sunny replied, "I just can't stay very long."

"If you just sit up here in your dorm room and draw, you'll never find a man!"

That was the end of the debate. Sunny always caved into Maya. Now they sat in the trendy restaurant just off campus. 

Maya smiled up at the waiter, "Gin and tonic for me, and diet coke for my girl here."

"Coming up!" the waiter replied with a smile at Maya and a nod toward Sunny.

"I'm not interested in finding a man," Sunny grumbled as the waiter left.

"Well, neither am I, girl!" Maya flipped her blonde carefully styled tresses back with a golden-tanned hand, "But you bet your boots that I'm going to find some well-endowed distraction!"

"So, who is this guy anyway?" Sunny asked.

"His name is Jason," Maya replied and moved the basket of roasted peanuts Sunny reached for to the table across from where they sat. "Too much salt, you'll retain water!"

Sunny scowled first at the out-of-reach basket of peanuts then out the window.

"Hello, ladies!"

Sunny saw him in the reflection of the window and looked around into the clear twinkling blue eyes of Jason Thompson.

With him was a tall dark athletic man who all but drank in Maya as he slid into the booth next to her. She draped herself like a blonde snake against the man and he was caught! 

Maya always had Sunny in tow, saying that Sunny was 'safe' and friendly without being intimidating. Wherever Maya wanted to go, Sunny would be with her. Within an hour of walking in, there would be a group of young men gathered around their table. They were drawn in by Maya's good looks but somehow lingered around to talk with Sunny.

Sunny and Jason had become a 'couple' while Maya of course, continued to date; and always with an outrageously handsome man. Maya never had trouble finding male companionship, she was exquisite! Men could not deny her. The only man who had not fallen under her spell was Jason or so Sunny thought!

Rather than descend into a depression, Sunny took one of the pills Dr. Turner had prescribed and fell into a dreamless sleep. If she happened to dream, she would not remember it when she woke up.

February 10: 10:27 pm

"I think it would be best to send her as soon as possible," Thomas O'Neil murmured to his wife as they lay in bed.

Maire rolled toward him, "So you think sending her to Fiona is the right thing to do? You think it will help Sunny?"

Thomas sighed heavily and stared up at the ceiling for a moment then looked at Maire. "Yes, I do."

Maire nodded then frowned. "I hope it helps; I've never seen Sunny this way – it's as if her whole world has shattered into a million pieces."

"It has," Thomas whispered, "You know, the little bastard had the gall to call me today at work and try to explain what happened!"

"What did you say?" Maire asked.

"I said what any father would say," Thomas replied. "I told him to bugger off!"

"Oh, Thomas!" Maire gasped then began to giggle softly as she cuddled against her husband's shoulder, "Good!"

 February 12: 4:00 pm

It was several days later before Maire approached her daughter. She delivered a cup of afternoon tea to her husband where he sat reading the Sunday newspaper. "I'm going to go up and tell Sunny about going to Ireland."

"Good," Thomas replied as he took the cup from Maire, "I still think it's going to be good for Sunny to get as far away from this Jason and Maya thing as possible." 

"Yes, I suppose so," Maire murmured. She went upstairs taking a tray with a cup of tea and a plate of ginger snap cookies. She set the tray on the little table just outside the bedroom door and knocked softly. When she heard Sunny's voice she opened the door, "I've brought tea and your favorite ginger snaps!" 

Sunny was sitting in the window seat staring out the window, in her lap was a sketchbook, and tucked behind her ear was a pencil. Maire brought the tray over, set it on the window seat, and sat down across from her daughter. Sunny set her sketchbook aside and pointed out the window with her pencil. "He's back again,"

Maire glanced out, "Who's back, dear?"

"That raven," Sunny replied and took the cup of tea her mother handed her.

Maire looked out and saw the large black bird flying off to join up with several others gathered higher up the limbs of the massive oak tree. She felt a shiver trace up her spine and she turned away offering the plate of ginger snap cookies to Sunny.

"You know, I've seen this same raven for the last few days," Sunny replied. "It's like he's checking on me."

Maire looked out the window at the raven and compressed her lips in a tight line then turned away to focus on composing her words. "I've spoken to your great aunt Fiona, and your father and I think it would be a good idea for you perhaps to go and spend awhile with her."

"Really?" Sunny replied softly, "So she knows?"

"Yes," Maire said looking at her hands that were clasped tightly together in her lap, "I called her a few days ago. The idea came to me that you might like to spend some time in Ireland."

"Why now, Mama?" Sunny asked. "You've always been so against it,"

"I know," Maire said. "It's just that I think now; especially now, it would be best."

"Run away?" Sunny said to herself, "To the victor goes to the spoils."

Maire drew a steadying breath, "Maybe just being in new surroundings will help."

 Sunny thought for a moment then nodded. "Perhaps you're right,"

"When would you like to go?" Maire asked.

"As soon as possible," Sunny said setting her empty cup on the tray.

Maire was not sure whether to be relieved or more worried, sending her daughter to Ireland was something she never thought she would ever consider doing, and her mother; God rest her soul – would be spinning in her grave if she knew that she was sending her to Fiona!

Sunny seemed to be following her mother's thoughts and smiled faintly, "Mama, what is so God-awful about Aunt Fiona? If I didn't know better, I'd think Aunt Fiona was a drug dealer!"

Maire glanced at her daughter, thinking she would prefer Fiona was dealing drugs – at least that would be something she could explain. Maire laughed lightly and got to her feet, completely avoiding answering Sunny by looking around the bedroom, "We'll need to get you packed. You still have your passport?"

"I have it," Sunny replied. She remembered she also had Jason's passport. They had planned a honeymoon in England with a short stop in Ireland to see her Aunt Fiona. She pushed that pain away and glanced over at her bedside table and the small stack of library books. "I think I'll call the library and see if they can't put a few books aside for me to look at – maybe I can do some sightseeing?" Sunny said.

 "Good idea," Maire replied relieved that the conversation had turned to a safer subject…

In the morning, Sunny got up, showered, and dressed. She looked at herself in the mirror in the bathroom and sighed heavily. It had been too many days sheltering in the quiet and safety of her bedroom and her house. Her parents had tiptoed around the house, tiptoed around her, and tiptoed around the subject of canceling the wedding. The date of the wedding was just days away and Sunny simply had to face the awful task of calling the guest list and letting them all know that there would be no wedding.

Maire sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in her hands and the wedding list of guests in front of her. She was just as reluctant to begin the task as Sunny. As Sunny came downstairs and entered the kitchen, Maire glanced up at her daughter. "Mama, let's split up the list and begin calling these people."

"Very well, dear," Maire replied, then looked through the hall into the dining room where the wedding gifts had begun to accumulate on the table. "I have the guests marked with a checkmark if there was a gift…."

"Let's hope they kept their receipts," Sunny remarked as she sat down across the kitchen table from her mother, "Or maybe we can send them all over to Maya's to deal with?"

Maire frowned at the mention of Maya, "I wouldn't give her another thought!"

Sunny shrugged lightly. It still sent spear-points of pain into her chest, and she drew a quick breath and pushed back all thoughts of Jason and Maya. Maire pulled the last three sheets of paper from the stenography pad with the guest list names and handed them to Sunny. "You want to take these and head into the study while I make calls here?"

Sunny nodded as she went over to the kitchen nook where her mother kept her cookbooks and cellphone charging pad where the family placed all their cellphones. She glanced down at the list and smirked at the names listed. By now, most everyone had heard the news and were only expecting someone to call and confirm it. "If you get voicemail, just leave a message, Mama."

"Yes, dear," Maire called as she watched her daughter walk out of the kitchen with the paper clinched in one hand and her cell phone in the other.

Once in the study, Sunny sat behind the small desk and looked down at her phone. She swiped her thumb over the screen and immediately saw four voicemail messages waiting for her. Three from Jason and one from the library. She deleted the three lengthy voicemail messages from Jason without listening. She did listen to the one from the library. She had several travel and sightseeing books about Ireland waiting for her. That brightened her mood a little; when she had finished with her calling, she would head to the library.

She opened the phone application and looked at the first phone number on the list and keyed it in. It rang and their voicemail answered. Sunny composed a brief message and an even more brief apology for the cancellation. By the time she had reached the end of her list, she had the entire paragraph down to a quick forty-five-second phone message. The few people she spoke to were just as uneasy with hearing from her as she was having to explain. Sunny was so mentally fatigued at the end of the last conversation with an old school friend that she nearly decided to skip going to the library.

 Resolutely she folded her list in half and returned to the kitchen just as her mother was hanging up her phone. They looked at one another and both sighed heavily. "Task completed," Maire replied, "Now I could use a bit to eat!"

 Sunny agreed. "Hummus and veggies?"

"Yes!" Maire brightened at the thought of her favorite snack. "Everything is in the fridge."

 Sunny reached into the top of the refrigerator and pulled out the box of sliced carrots, bell peppers, raw turnip slices, and other crisp vegetables. The container of hummus was on another shelf. Together they sat at the kitchen table in silence, Maire not knowing what to say and Sunny too tired mentally to try to say what was on her mind. Finally, Sunny looked over at her mother, "Mama, it's done. Everyone's been called; those presents in the dining room need to go back to whoever sent them and I'll cancel the registry at the stores. Everything else is up to --," the word, 'Jason' got caught in her throat, but she paused and took a sip of iced tea, "Everything else is up to Jason to handle. We're done."

 "I understand," Maire replied softly. She patted her folded sheets of the list. "I reached everyone on my list – or left messages. I've heard from Steven Kerrigan, who's offered to come and return the gifts for us. He's been by a few times to ask about you."

 Sunny smiled faintly. Steven was Jason's friend and best man but had always been friendly with her. "That's nice of him to stop by. The library's called and I'm going to head over and look through the books they ordered for me. Maybe I'll get a chance to visit a few places while I'm in Ireland – places I've always wanted to see and do a bit of drawing."

"I think that will be good," Maire replied, she covertly studied her daughter for the signs she had seen the other day, but that smoldering power was not present, and she began to relax just a little. "Maybe you should drop in the art supply store and pick up a few supplies too?"

Sunny smiled at that thought, "Good idea! I'll swing by and do that."

When they had finished eating, Maire set about tidying up and Sunny gathered up her keys and purse. She passed back through the kitchen and hugged her mother. "If you need anything while I'm out, just call or text me and I'll pick it up."

 "I will," Maire said and watched Sunny leave through the laundry room out to the garage where her car waited.

River Oaks Public Library

 Sunny pulled up in the large parking lot of the public library and noticed it was a little crowded. She pulled her phone from her purse and looked down at the day and date. She had lost all track of time and realized that the full parking lot was not unusual for a weekday and with spring break coming up! There was a rush to finish term papers and end-the-term projects. She was thankful that she was finished with all that. She was a regular library visitor and when she passed through the double-sliding glass doors, she immediately felt a sense of normalcy. The ladies at the circulation desk waved to her and greeted her warmly. If they had heard her news they did not acknowledge it. She waved her greetings back and continued toward the center hub of the library where the reference department sat. The double rows of public computers were nearly full and the buzz of students talking quietly among themselves was a comfortable and soothing sound.

 At the center of the hubbub were the reference librarian and her staff. Everyone was engaged with helping groups of students. Sunny spotted two teenagers standing off to one side of the reference desk. They looked a bit lost, and she moved toward them.

"Hi, my name is Sunny, they look a bit busy, maybe I can help?"

 "Hi Sunny," The young somber-eyed teenage boy with round glasses stuck his hand out, "My name's Alan," he gestured to the dark-haired young woman, "That's my sister, Alexandra. We're looking for an old newspaper article. Could you help us figure out how to use the microfiche reader?"

"Sure thing!" Sunny shook Alan's hand and glanced over at the reference librarian behind the desk for permission. "Mrs. Avery, I can help them get what they need if that's okay with you." The harried-looking woman nodded gratefully and waved them over to the machines, "Thanks dear, I appreciate it!"

"Come on over where they keep the cabinets of film." The two teens followed her and once they were standing at the microfilm cabinets, Sunny glanced at them a bit closer. "Hey, aren't you Professor Marsh's kids?"

The young boy smiled widely at her. "You know our Dad?"

 Sunny nodded. "I go, or I did go to school at River Oaks College. I just met him not long ago and remember seeing the photograph of you two on his desk."

Sunny winked at Alan and looked at Alexandra, "It's really kind of outdated using these film reels, but it's really easy to use once you get the hang of it. Do you know what year or the month you're looking for?"

 Alexandra pulled out the old newspaper clipping and showed it to her. "Anything before July and the same year, 1947."

 Sunny went to the cabinets, scanned the labels, found the correct year, and pulled open the large flat drawer with rows of white boxes with neatly typed labels. It was Alexandra who spotted the year and tapped it with a long slim finger. Sunny pulled the box, and they went over to the microfiche reader. Sunny showed them how to load the grey plastic reel into the reader and thread the film into the enlarging deck. "The machine pretty much loads the film strip and then once it gets to the first page, you just use this big dial to focus and this other one to scroll back and forth."

The two teens quickly caught on to how to scan the pages. Sunny found the same article Alexandra had shown her and tapped on the screen with a fingertip. "There you are. This whole cassette has the complete year of 1947 issues of the River Oaks Gazette."

"Thanks, Sunny!" Alexandra said. "Do you live in River Oaks?" 

Sunny nodded, "Yes, over on the other side of the Kinderhook River, west side of town."

The reference librarian came over. "Thank you Sunny." she looked over at Alexandra and Alan, "You find what you need?"

"Yes ma'am," Alan replied.

"Good!" she looked at Sunny, "Now that I've finished with Mrs. Foster and her sons, I can show you those books we got for you on Ireland." She looked to Alan and Alexandra, "If you decide to search elsewhere, just let me know and we can look in other areas."

Sunny smiled at the teens, catching Alexandra's golden-brown eyes. There was something going on, but she could not put a finger on exactly what was out of place. As the librarian moved back to her desk, Sunny touched Alexandra's shoulder gently, "You guys all right?"

Both teens nodded but Alexandra answered. "We're good, thanks for your help, Sunny."

"Hope you have a good time in Ireland," Alan responded with a grin. Sunny's smile was a bit half-hearted at first, but she managed to give him a proper grin back at him. "Thank you, Alan. I plan on it!" She waved to the teens, joined the librarian at the circular reference desk, and began going through the stack of travel books.

When she was standing with Mrs. Avery looking through the stack of books on Ireland, she nodded to them. "It looks like they might have a mystery on their hands."

Mrs. Avery glanced discretely over her shoulder at the two teens, "What were they looking for?"

"Something on the Harper Estates," Sunny replied. "In 1946 or 47."

"I'll check on them in a bit," Mrs. Avery replied. "Now when do you leave for Ireland?"

"I'm packing now," Sunny replied. "I hope to leave in a few days."

Mrs. Avery reached over and took Sunny's hand gently. "Maybe you'll find an adventure when you get there!"

Sunny laughed lightly, "Oh, I think I've had enough drama to last me a long time, Mrs. Avery. I just want to sit, draw, and forget!"