Chapter9
Savannah did her best for the next month to keep her head up and push on with her life. She threw herself in to her studies and took more shifts at work than ever before. She even started working with the children's choir at church to fill her nights. Her father and mother were prouder of her than ever before and she was as happy as she could manage to be without Jake. Her brother was the only one who knew of her heartbreak and he was the one who was most relieved to see her new zest for her life.
When she did have a moment to herself, she read and reread the letters that came from Jake. She had received five in all, each more important to her than the one before it. The excitement when a new one arrived was beyond words. She had somehow kept her family from noticing the new stream of letters she was receiving. It might have been harder had things not been so busy at the church, but her father was deeply involved in some renovations there and was at the church from dawn until dusk.
One night, she returned home from choir practice to one of the coveted cream envelopes waiting in the mailbox for her. Though her mother was home, she didn't stop to greet her. She called out an excuse about having to get to studying right away and dashed up to her room. There, she dropped her bag, and threw her coat off before curling up in the bed with her latest letter, immersing herself in Jake's words.
My dearest Savannah,
I know that it has been nearly a week since I sent my last letter. I know that is the longest interval between letters and I'm sure that you suspect that my interest in writing to you has begun to fade. I assure you, that isn't the case. I have been consumed with thoughts of you for nearly a week. It has been too intense for me to bear. I have been unable to sort through the thoughts and emotions.
Each letter I have tried to write in the last week has been a jumble of illegible blathering. It's due, in large part, to the fact that I want nothing more than to tell you every detail of each of my days. I'm sure, though, that you wouldn't care for that. Instead, I have torn up those letters and begun again. I will endeavor to be coherent in this letter, a goal I failed at in previous versions.
From my last letters, you know that I have brothers who I travel with. We have been on the road for nearly a week straight. It was necessary for us to put some distance between us and the last place we laid our heads. The reason is unimportant and I will not burden you with it.
We are all safe and sound. I add that only because I know that, with you tender heart, you have come to care for my brothers as you care for me. They are all that I have in this world besides you. There are those who would say that our ties are weaker than most, because we were brought together by the foster system and not by blood. They would be fools, though.
We have the strongest of ties because we have chosen to be a family. We each know what it s like to be alone in the world and we know why what we have with each other is so special. As long as we all live, none of us will have to be alone. That is something that I never hoped to have in my life. That makes me truly blessed. I thought there was no greater bond than the one that I feel with my brothers. I was sure that was true until you came in to my life. I know you will doubt me, having heard how deeply I care for my brothers. You should not.
I feel as though, somehow, you became a part of me during our time together. Without you near me, it feels as if a part of me has been cut away. Though I see no blood, I would swear that I have a wound over my heart that will not heal.
I hope that you don't suffer as I do. I know I have said in past letters that the most selfish part of me wishes that you would miss me as I miss you. That remains unchanged. I do, though, hope that you have found a way to handle it better than I have. I hate to think of you in the pain.
It makes it difficult for me to focus on my work. My brothers are quite annoyed with me, I must say. You fill my mind day and night. It makes it hard to stay away from you. I know it best for you if I do, but I'm not sure that I will be able to be away from you for a lifetime.
Perhaps it's unfair of me to say that to you. After all, the noble thing to do would be to encourage you to move on with your life. You deserve a husband, children, and a home of your own. I cannot tell you that it wouldn't break my heart to come home to you and find you in such a situation though.
I think it's because I feel in my heart that there is nobody in the world who could make you happier that I can. If life had been different, we might have had that home and family together.
I have begun to ramble and I promised you earlier in this letter that I wouldn't do that. For that reason, I must conclude this letter now. Just know that I'm as well as I can be without you by my side.
Take care of yourself and be happy.
I love you.
Jake
She finished the letter and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She hated to think of him out in the world, missing her so desperately. Still, she was glad to know that he was still as mad about her as she was about him. It seemed so strange to her that she could feel so connected to someone when she had no idea where he was or what he was doing. Knowing that he was safe, though, would have to be enough for her. She knew that, though it was a difficult thing to accept.
Slowly, she rose from the bed and opened her jewelry box. She removed the already well-worn bundle of letters that she had stashed there and gently untied the ribbon that bound them all together. She added that day’s letter, her most recent treasure, to the bundle before nestling it back in its place. Then, as was her ritual, she took her seat at her desk and pulled her journal from the locked drawer where she kept it. As she opened it, her mind filled with all of the things that she wanted to say to Jake after reading his letter and began to write.
Jake,
As always, your letter filled my heart with joy. I feel as if you're always with me, but never more so than when I first open one of your letters and inhale the scent of you. Touching something that you have held makes me feel almost as though I'm holding your hand in mine.
You're right, I have come to care for your brothers, though I have never met them. How could I not, when they have helped to shape the man that you're; the man that I love. It calms my mind to know that you have people around you who love you as I love you. I hope they keep your mind occupied and don't let you dwell on the sadness you feel at our separation. I wish you were going to read this letter.
I would like to assure you that I'm finding ways to keep my life busy. It helps me to keep from falling in to the abyss of loneliness. If I could actually send my letters to you, you would know by now that I have started to teach a choir class for children at the church. It's for the youngest in age.
Most people don't like to teach that level because they are so difficult to get to focus, but I love it. They are so enthusiastic and their hearts are so full of joy. Their happiness and peace rub off on me each time I work with them. It may be borrowed happiness, but it gets me through the days.
You said in your letter that I deserve a husband, children, and a home. I need you to know that the thing I deserve is a true love. I have found that in you. Whatever shape my life takes because of that is something that I will have to deal with. I will not, however, compromise myself and settle for a man I don't love. I will not live half a life because society says I should be a wife and a mother. What I want is to be your love. Don't doubt that. I will wait for you.
You're the love that the universe meant for me. Stay safe and come back to me.
Savannah
After she sealed the journal away in her desk, she lay down to do some studying but her exhaustion overtook her. When she finally awoke in the early morning hours, a wave of nausea overtook her. It was so intense, that she stayed in bed, canceling plans that she had with her brother to go hiking. However, with her brother, she should have known it wouldn't be as easy as sending him a text message. An hour later, she heard a loud pounding on the door of her bedroom and she knew in an instant who was on the other side.
"Savannah, I know you're in there. Open this door," he shouted. Reluctantly she threw off her covers and staggered towards the door.
"You're going to knock the door off of its hinges," she chastised as she opened the door.
He ignored her and barged in to the room. "I was a just beginning to think that you had put all of this silliness behind you. You were putting more energy in to your classes and everyone at the cafe says how happy you have seemed.
Mom and Dad are over the moon about the singing class you're doing for the kids at the church. I thought you were living again. Now, you cancel plans to lay in bed all day. I will not let you slip back in to some kind of depression," he said as he paced back and forth in agitation.
"I didn't cancel on you because I was too depressed to get out of bed. I canceled because I don't feel well," she said, her defenses rising.
"You don't look sick," he accused, pointing a finger at her.
"I feel nauseous. So nauseous, in fact, that I could throw up on your boots right now," she said, clutching her stomach.
"Don't lie to me," he snapped.
Her anger, mixed with the nausea she felt, was all too much. She dove to the trash can just in time to keep from being sick all over her pretty blue carpet. When she finished emptying the contents of her stomach, she looked up at him accusingly and said, "Is that proof enough for you?"
"Savannah, are you OK?" He asked, coming to sit beside her on the floor.
"I just feel terribly sick. The smell when Mother was cooking breakfast for Father earlier nearly sent me over the edge. I had to hang my head out the window until the scent faded," she said, leaning against him for support. She looked up and the concern is his eyes sent chills across her skin.
"Savannah, are you pregnant?" He asked, the expression on his face one of shock.
"No," she snapped before really thinking. Only then did she recall that, in fact, it was very possible that she could be. Something in her expression must have given her away, because her brother's gasp was so loud she was sure her parents could have heard it from the floor underneath them.
"Is Tony the father? I will kill him," he snapped.
"Hush. There is no father because there is no baby and even if there was a baby, Tony couldn't be that baby's father. I promise you that," she said, clutching her head to keep the room from spinning.
"Get up and get dressed. I'm taking you to the doctor right now," he ordered.
"Most women just take a pregnancy test at the pharmacy," she said defiantly, not moving to follow his commands. She might be pregnant, she conceded to herself, but that didn't make her brother her boss.
"Most women are not the unmarried daughter of a minister. You cannot buy a pregnancy test and I cannot go buy one for you. The whole town would be talking about both of us before lunchtime," he explained, speaking to her as though this was some sort of new development in their lives. The entire town had watched them with such scrutiny their entire lives.
"And will it be any different if we go to the doctors' offices? I know the doctor cannot say anything, but Thelma is still the receptionist and she will tell the whole town that I came in nauseous. It will be all over town by dinner that I'm pregnant," she said, moving towards the door to the small private bathroom that connected to her room so that she could wash her face and gather her thoughts.
"That is why we are not going to any doctor here. We are going to tell Mom and Dad that I'm taking you to the museum in the city for the day. We will go to a clinic there and you can get the test. Then we will know for sure and we can decide what in the world we do next," he said, handing her a towel to dry her face.
"I cannot be pregnant," she said, her hands shaking.
"I'm not going to push you on this. If there is no way you could be pregnant, I will leave this alone. If there is any possibility, though, then we need to do this," he said, looking at her with knowing eyes.
"I'll get dressed," she said slowly, unable to deny that it was physically possible that she could be pregnant.
"Alright then. I'm going to go down and talk to Mom and Dad. Take all the time you need, but be composed when you come down. Mom will be able to tell that something is wrong with you if you're not careful," he said, heading for the door.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"That is what brothers are for," he said with a smile that told her everything would be alright.
She stared at herself in the mirror after he left and tried to see if there was any change in her body, but of course it was too early for that. She dressed quickly, keeping in mind that her parents would think they were headed off to a museum.
She put on a light blue cotton dress and looked at herself in the mirror again. This time, she tried to picture herself as a mother. She was terrified, of course, but the thought of having Jake's child growing inside of her made her heart leap with joy.
Her brother rushed her past their parents and in to his car. They drove in silence to the city. He kept glancing over at her from time to time, but she made no effort to explain herself. She knew that she would have to, once the appointment was over, but she was too lost in her own thoughts to go through it in those moments. Her hands lay protectively against her stomach as she thought about what it would be like to be a mother. Her parents would be disappointed and the rest of the congregation at church would be too. Her brother, though, seemed to be on her side.
That was a relief to her because until a little more than a month before she would have sworn he would be the hardest on her for such a thing. When they got to the office, they sat together in the boring, beige waiting room. When she was called back, her brother offered to go back with her. At first, she told him that it wasn't necessary. When the nurse opened the door to the exam room corridor, though, she changed her mind. She couldn't stand the thought of getting the news alone, no matter what the news was.
Half an hour later, they left the doctor's office. There was no doubt, the doctor told her, that she was carrying a child. The nurse had smiled at her when she left, giving her samples of prenatal vitamins and some brochures. She was in shock, but she couldn't hide the happiness it brought her that a child would be born.
That baby would be the product of her love for Jake and she couldn't imagine loving anything more. It wasn't until they got to the safety of his car that her brother turned to her, his expression making it clear that he expected an explanation.
"I'm sorry if I have disappointed you, but I cannot be sorry this is happening," she began.
"And Tony isn't the father," he said, simply looking to confirm what she had told him before, now that they knew without a doubt she carried a baby.
"No, I never slept with Tony," she said, thinking for the first time how hurt Tony would be to learn she was carrying another man's baby. If he had not believed that they were done before, this would give him no choice.
"Then it's the stranger's baby? A white man's baby," he said in disbelief.
"Yes," she said, smiling as she thought of Jake and the joy he had brought her.
"I don't know how to help you through this," he said with sad eyes.
"This isn't a sad thing. This child might be born out of wedlock, but he or she will be born of love. I know you doubt me, but this baby's father is the love of my life. He couldn't stay here with me and live this life, but I will have a piece of him to carry with me always," she answered calmly.
"Then we will find a way," he said, patting her comfortingly on the knee before starting the car and pulling on to the highway.
"You know, Tony would probably marry you and raise the baby with you if you asked him," he said, though his expression told her that he thought it was as terrible an idea as she did.
"I know that, but it wouldn't be fair to anyone involved. I will raise this baby on my own if Mom and Dad will not help me," she said, her voice full of resolve.
"You will never be alone. I will be there for you. If they cannot accept it, you will just move in with me and raise the baby at my house. The important thing is that you finish school. We have to make sure that you do. It might take a little longer than you had planned, but you will get your degree and you will have everything out of life that you want. I promise you that," he said reassuringly.
"Thank you. I'm so sorry that I have been distant from you since Tony and I broke up. I love you. You're my best friend. I should never have doubted that," she said, tears of gratitude welling in her eyes.
"Even if Mom and Dad are upset at first, you know it will not last long. Nobody loves babies more than Mom does and you're always been Dad's favorite. They will support you through this. I know it," he said, his voice as certain as could be.
"I hope you're right. I hate to think that there is anything that could divide our family," she said with a forced smile. She didn't doubt her parents' love for her. She just hated to think of the pain it would cause them. She wasn't ashamed of anything she had done, but she didn't want others to be hurt by something that brought her such joy.
*
Days later, Savannah settled down at her desk yet again. It was the first time that she had pulled out the journal to write to Jake that wasn't in response to a letter that he had sent to her first. There was so much that she needed to tell him. Her thoughts had been too scattered to put in to words in the days after learning about the baby. Her fear and anxiety were no match for the joy that the thought of raising his child brought to her. She would have a piece of him with her.
It took her a few moments to even begin to write to him. Though the journal might never reach him, it was important to her to write her feelings down. It made it feel as though Jake was going through this with her. Her brother’s support was one thing, but being able to feel as though Jake was by her side was another thing entirely. She felt his love with her daily, but feeling as though she could communicate with him brought her some peace.
The moment that her pen began to move across the paper, the words poured from her. It was as though all of the tension and anxiety that had been playing upon her thoughts cleared as she began to purge her very soul, picturing Jake’s face as she wrote.
My Jake,
I wish that these words would truly reach you, because there is so much that I need you to know. I cannot sugar coat the news. I'm pregnant. I don't know if the news would please you or not. I like to think that it would. Knowing how you love me, it seems impossible to me that you wouldn't be happy to learn that a life has been created through that love.
Perhaps it's better that I cannot tell you this directly. I know the news would compel you to return to me and I don't want your hand to be forced.
When you do return to my side, I want it to be because you chose to. Don't worry. I can take care of myself and this baby. I would leave school if I needed to, but I don't think that will be necessary. My brother told me that he will help me through whatever comes next and I don't doubt his sincerity.
I know that you have never met him so you have no reason to take comfort in this. Believe me, though, when I tell you that he is a good, honest man who keeps his word. He will look after the baby and I, no matter how my parents react. Speaking of my parents, I have not told them yet.
I think I will tell them when I finish this letter. My brother is going to come over and stay with me while I talk to them. I worry only that it will hurt them that I have conceived a child out of wedlock. I don't think they will be angry, though I know they will worry how this child and I will fair in the world, with me being so young and you being gone.
I'm not worried though. The baby has shown me an inner strength that I didn't know I was even capable of. Every time I feel myself growing afraid, I press my hand to my stomach and I'm calmed.
I said before that I hoped you would be happy about the child.
I need to tell you now the joy that it gives me. Having this baby growing within me is the single greatest joy I have ever known. I will not lie and tell you that I'm not slightly frightened, but I think that fear is the result of the tremendous love that I already feel for this child. I want to be the best of mothers, the kind that such a special child deserves.
Perhaps you're laughing now, asking how I can already know our child is such a special one. I tell you, though, that it's by virtue of being born of a love as deep and pure as ours that I know this child will be special. How could anything that is half you and half me not be perfect?
I know that there is much hard work and worry ahead of me. I have seen how having children has shaped my own mother's life. Still, I know that the joy of motherhood is the single greatest joy of her life. The only sadness I felt when I committed myself to loving you was the fact that I thought I might never become a mother. It's something, you see, that I have always desperately wanted to be. I had accepted, though, that it might be something that I had to sacrifice if life kept you away from me.
Now, though, you have given me a tremendous gift, the gift of a family. I will not waste it and I will ensure that you're a part of it. I will tell our child of you and share your letters with him or her as they grow. If life does bring you back to me, you will not jay have me waiting for you. You will have a family waiting for you to come home.
With love always,
Savannah
As she closed the journal, she heard her brother greeting their parents downstairs. Savannah took a deep breath and locked the journal back in its drawer and rose to face her parents. She smoothed her skirt and looked at herself in the mirror. Thankfully, she wasn't yet showing.
She wanted to tell her parents before the change in her figure did it for her. Trying to keep herself calm, she inhaled deeply and headed down the staircase before she had time to lose her nerve.
By the time she got to the living room, her mother was already beaming. That was always her reaction whenever her beloved son graced them with his presence unexpectedly. Savannah knew in the split second that having him there was the right choice. He would help to keep her mother calm once she announced her news. Her father was in an equally good mood, chatting with her brother about the repairs he was overseeing at the church.
Both of their parents were blissfully unaware of her secret, but that ended tonight. Samuel respected them far too much to continue to lie to them.
She took a seat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room and waited for the right moment to speak. As though they sensed something was afoot, both of her parents turned simultaneously and regarded her with the same suspicious looks they had when she was a young girl and swore up and down that she had not eaten the last cookie in the cookie jar. If not for an encouraging nod from her brother, she might have lost her nerve.
"Mother, Father," she began, her words so formal that they told her parents that something was truly going on with her.
"What is it child?" her father asked, looking concerned.
"I have to tell you both news that I'm not sure you will want to hear," she said, unable to find the words to blurt out exactly what she needed to tell them.
"Tell us girl," her mother encouraged.
"I'm not sure how," she admitted honestly.
"I think I know what is happening," her mother said, giving her a reassuring smile.
"You do?" she and her brother gasped in unison.
"Yes my dears. I'm not naive," she said, smiling sweetly.
"What do you think is going on?" her brother asked.
"Well, Mary Jane Tompkins told me that she saw the two of you at the diner a few weeks ago and she mentioned that Tony joined you and that you all got into quite the heated discussion," she explained, looking at their father as though to gloat that she knew what was happening.
"What conclusion have you come to?" Savannah asked, wondering what her mother thought could be going on.
"Well, she wasn't close enough to hear what you all said, but it seems obvious to me," she said, winking at her daughter.
"And what is that?" Savannah asked, knowing in her heart what her mother was about to say.
"Well, clearly you and Tony have mended things between you. I told your father, but of course he didn't believe me. I understand why you would tell your brother first. I know that the separation between you and Tony has caused a bit of a rift between the two of you lately," their mother said, smiling with pleasure at the thought of Savannah and Tony reuniting.
"Mom," Savannah began, not sure how to go on.
"Don't be upset with Mary Jane. She didn't mean to gossip," their mom said, realizing that Savannah wasn't pleased with the direction the conversation had taken.
"I'm not upset with Mary Jane. I'm also not back together with Tony. I will never be back together with Tony. That relationship is over," she said firmly, bracing herself for the uncomfortable discussion to come.
"Then what on earth is going on?" her mother demanded.
"Let the child speak," their father said, finally speaking up.
Well I don't understand why she is so nervous," their mother said, annoyed.
"Perhaps if you let her speak, she would tell you," he answered, smiling gently at his wife, the love of his life. He was the calm one. She was the fiery one. Together, they made each other better.
"Well, why will she not just spit it out?" she asked, pursing her lips in frustration.
"Mom, give her a chance to talk," her son said gently but firmly.
"Alright. Say what you need to say, sweetie," her mother said, looking no less impatient.
"As I said, I don't really know where to start," she said with a sigh of frustration.
"Go on," her father said with an encouraging smile.
"I fell in love," she admitted honestly. "I fell so deeply in love that I gave myself to him spiritually and physically."
"Savannah," her mother gasped.
"And I'm pregnant," she finished, bracing for their reaction.
"I don't know what to say," her mother said, placing her hand on her head as though she might faint.
"I know what to say," her father said as he stood up and crossed the room to stand directly in front of his daughter.
"I will not apologize. I'm blessed to have the chance to be a mother to this child," she said, a protective hand placed on her stomach.
"You're not afraid?" he asked gently.
"No. Say what you will, father. The only thing I regret is that this situation might cause either of you pain," she said boldly.
"And you and the babe are healthy?" he asked, taking her hands in his.
"Yes. The doctor said all is well," she said, waiting for him to unleash his disappointment in her.
"Then you're right. This child is a blessing. Your mother and I will stand by your side and this child will bring joy to all of our lives," he said as he wrapped his arms protectively around her.
“Yes, of course we will,” her mother said as she rose and embraced her too.
“You're not disappointed in me?” she asked, tears welling in her eyes.
“Well child, I think I speak for your father and I both when I say that we are not thrilled with the way this all happened. We don't know anything about your young man and we both know that being a single mother will make this a hard road for you. Still, you're a strong girl. If you're not afraid, we will not add to your fear,” her mother said, all of her former annoyance and shock erased. As always, she was a pillar of strength.
“Yes, my dear. It also warms my heart to see that your brother has aided you though the early days of this,” her father said, smiling across the room at Samuel with pride in his eyes.
“She is my baby sister. There was no other option but to stand by her and ease her mind as much as I could,” he said, shaking off their father’s praise.
“You're a good man, my son,” their father said sternly, telling Samuel through his tone that he should not deny the best parts of himself.
“Thank you sir,” Samuel responded, looking a little embarrassed by the attention.
“You're welcome. You're both our children and there isn't anything that either of you could do to dampen the love that we have in our hearts for you,” their father answered.
“Can you tell us more about your young man? He must have meant a great deal to you,” her mother said, her expression guarded and her words carefully chosen to keep from hurting her daughter.
“He still does mean a great deal to me. In a different time and place, he would have been my husband and we would have spent our lives together, raising this baby as a family,” she said, her head held high as a single tear fell down her cheek.
“Well, never fear my girl. You have the rest of your family to raise the child with you. No child in all of history will be more loved that your baby,” her mother said, hugging her tighter. Women’s intuition kept her from pressing her daughter further about Jake and Savannah was grateful.
The days and weeks that followed were surprisingly smooth for Savannah. Her parents got to work right away, cleaning out Samuel’s old room to serve as a nursery. It made the most sense, since it was right next to Savannah’s. She kept going to routine doctor’s appointments and was reassured constantly that she and her baby were as healthy as could be.
The only grey cloud hanging over her was the fact that she had not received a letter from Jake in all that time. Still, she continued to write to him in her journal. Each day she poured her heart out, telling him all about the baby growing inside of her. If ever he returned, she wanted him to be able to relive the times that he had missed with her and the child. The journal became the perfect way to ensure that.
After nearly two months without a letter from him, though, she was beginning to doubt that he would ever lay eyes on the pages. Most women would have been convinced that he had grown tired of her; that he had replaced his memories of her with a willing woman that he could hold in his arms each night. She never thought that though, even for a moment. Savannah also couldn't bring herself to believe that something bad had happened to him. She was sure that she would feel that in her very bones.
Still, something had stopped her letters from arriving. One day, her frustration overtook her restraint and she made her way to the small Post Office in town, where she was greeted by Greta, the woman who had served as Postmistress for as long as Savannah could remember.
“Hello Greta,” she said warmly as she approached the counter.
“Well, as I live and breathe, sweetie you look prettier than ever,” the old woman said to her, smiling brightly.
“Thank you. I came to ask you if maybe some letters that I have been looking for came with the wrong address on them or accidentally were given to someone else,” she said, hoping that Greta wouldn't be offended by her inquiry. The woman took a great deal of pride in her job and Savannah didn't want to hurt her. She just wanted to know what was happening to her letters. They were the only link that she and the baby had to Jake and she couldn't lose them, especially now that she so needed her connection to Jake to be strong as she prepared to raise their child on her own.
“I don't know anything about any letters you might be expecting. Those letters that were bothering you're all taken care of though,” the woman said proudly.
“What letters are you talking about?” she asked, confused by Greta’s words.
“Well, Tony came in and said that you were getting some letters that were from someone who was harassing you. He asked me to hold them here instead of sending them on to you. I let him know when they come and he comes to pick them up for the investigation,” she explained, looking at Savannah as though she was worried she had fallen and hit her head, causing her to forget such traumatic things.
“Can you describe the letters?” Savannah asked, trying to keep calm.
“Sure, fancy things. Thick cream colored envelopes; real nice paper,” she said with the kind of admiration only a postmistress could have for an envelope.
“Tony was mistaken. There is no investigation. Those are my letters. Do you have any here now?” she asked, her temper rising.
“No, he just came and picked up the two that came last week this morning. Are you saying Tony lied to me?” she asked, looking shocked.
“Yes, he did. If more come, you will send them on to me. They are not from a stalker and they are not someone harassing me. I need those letters,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.
“Yes, of course child. I'm so sorry,” she said, sympathetically.
“It isn't your fault. I need to go and have a long talk with Tony,” she said, squaring her shoulders and marching out to the street.
Impulsively, she pulled out her phone and dialed her brother’s number. She didn't even give him time to speak when he answered the phone. She simply said, “If you would like to prevent a murder, officer, you will beat me to Tony’s house. If I get there first, I cannot make any guarantees about what will happen.” With that, she hung up the phone and started down Park Street to the house Tony lived in.
Her brother must have sensed how serious she was, because he pulled up in truck at the exact same moment that she arrived on foot.
“What is going on?” he said, jumping out to intercept her as she charged towards Tony’s porch.
“He had been taking my letters,” she yelled, too angry to keep her voice down.
“What letters?” he asked in confusion.
“The letters from Jake; from my baby’s father. He writes me letters and they stopped coming. I went to ask Greta and she told me that she was told to hold them. He told her they were from some kind of crazed stalker. She had held them and he picks them up. I'm going to kill him,” she shouted, hoping that he heard her.
“Damn,” her brother said, moving out of her way. If Tony was foolish enough to meddle in her life, Sam had no plans of being to one on the receiving end of her wrath. Just then, Tony emerged from the house, looking a bit uncomfortable.
“Bastard,” Savannah yelled, taking both men by surprise with her anger.
“I just got off the phone with Greta,” Tony said, not making direct eye contact with her.
“Where are they?” she demanded, not interested in his explanations.
“You have to understand. I couldn't let him hurt you anymore. Whoever he is, he is keeping you from a life with me; from a life where you could be happy. I saw how excited you were every time one of those damn letters showed up. It didn't take much detective work to figure out what was going on. I thought if I stopped them, you would come to your senses,” he said unapologetically.
“You crossed a line, Tony,” Sam said, shaking his head in disbelief.
“I was just trying to protect your little sister. You should be thanking me,” he said, his anger rising.
“Protect me? You were trying to protect me from the father of my baby?” Savannah snapped, her eyes bright with rage.
“Baby?” Tony asked in disbelief.
“Yes, my baby. Where are my letters? Did you destroy them?” she asked, looking horrified.
“You're having a baby with this man? You would never let me touch you and now you're having a baby with a drifter?” he demanded, looking as though he might become physically ill at the very thought.
“Yes, I love him,” she said unapologetically.
“Take your damn letters. I tried to burn them, but I couldn't. I wanted a little piece of you in my home,” he said as he dropped a bundle of the precious paper, held together with a rubber band, at her feet.
“Did you read them?” she asked, looking like she still might commit murder if he answered her incorrectly.
“No, that would be illegal,” he said, looking horrified.
“So was stealing them,” she said, turning away and jumping in to the front seat of her brother’s car, clutching the letters as though they were more precious than gold.
“And you're OK with this? You're not riding out of town to throw that boy who knocked up your sister in to a shallow grave somewhere?” Tony asked, turning his anger to Samuel.
“She loves him. What good would that do anybody? I told you that you needed to give her space. She will never forgive you for this,” he said, shaking his head as he turned to leave, getting in his car and driving off with his sister. Tony watched them go, still unable to believe what Savannah had just told him. The thought of her having another man’s baby filled him with an anger he had not known himself capable of.