“I think I understand her a little more. She was miserable inside, before. She made some stupid, totally wrong, decisions and she paid for them dearly. I still wish we’d had a chance to know her, but I can’t pin the rest of my life on something I can never have or change. So, yeah, I do feel better, stronger even.”
“Should I be scared?” he teased and she smiled in response. The first genuine smile to stretch her face in almost a week.
“Funny, Ethan, very funny. Now, about this land. Obviously I don’t expect you to make a decision right now—but we’ll need to think carefully about what we want to do.”
“I don’t think we need it, Tam. Do you?”
“I agree. I said as much to Lorenzo, but he was insistent that Mom wanted us to have it, to do with it whatever we wanted.”
“Hmm. Then how would you feel about selling the land? Maybe donating the money toward a charity or something in her name, something that might help other people going through what she went through.”
Tamsyn felt herself nodding. “That’s a good idea. I’ll put some thoughts together and we can discuss it when I get home, okay?”
They said their goodbyes and Tamsyn decided to walk back to the hotel as a vague feeling of disquiet still niggled at her. Saying “home” hadn’t felt quite right. For some reason, it felt as though the vast tract of land encompassing The Masters, including the imposing ruins of Masters Rise on the hilltop, belonged to another Tamsyn, another time, another world apart from what she’d begun to think of as home now. Did she even belong there at all? Did she belong anywhere?
From her harbor-facing hotel room window she watched as seagulls lazily circled in the air. She felt displaced, and wasn’t that what had led her to try to find her mother in the first place? The only time she’d felt as though she truly belonged anywhere was when she’d been in Finn’s arms. The past couple of weeks, working with him, just simply being with him, had felt so very right.
Her chest ached with a definite physical pain. She missed him already, even though he’d hurt her, even though he’d lied. As Alexis had stressed, Finn had acted with the very best intentions—not just toward Lorenzo, but toward her, as well. Perhaps not immediately, but certainly within the first week of knowing why she was there.
On the table beside her, her phone chimed with a new text message. Idly, she picked it up, surprised to see it was from Alexis and contained a link to a clip in a national current affairs show.
Hi sis. Hopefully ur still in NZ. U HAVE to see this! Luv Ax.
Tamsyn swiftly texted back asking what it was about but only received a watch it! in response.
She thumbed the link, hoping it wouldn’t be a total waste of her data allowance, and watched as the show advertising scrolled across the screen. The presenter’s words immediately made her sit up and take notice.
“Tonight we have well known philanthropist Finn Gallagher with us, to tell us about his exciting new project. Finn, what led you to this project in particular?”
Tamsyn watched, enthralled, as Finn filled the screen of her smartphone, as his measured voice came from the tiny speakers. She recognized the suit he was wearing as one he’d had on when he’d returned from a day trip to Wellington last week, so the interview itself was very recent.
During the interview he spoke eloquently about the respite center and about the families and children he hoped it would serve, and why. It seemed to take a toll on Finn, putting such a public face on one of his very personal projects, which fit in with what Alexis had told her about him and how much he supported those less fortunate in the community.
It hurt to watch him, yet it filled Tamsyn with a deep sense of calm as well. He was, essentially, a good man with a heart that beat for those he loved. He’d told her she was one of those people, but with everything that had happened afterward, she’d been too angry, too wounded and too scared of making herself vulnerable again to believe him.
Thinking back now, she remember how he’d sounded when he’d said the words before he went to be with Ellen as she died. He’d obviously been distraught at the knowledge that the mother figure, who’d been there for him while he was growing up, was leaving them all for good, yet he’d taken the time to call Tamsyn. To give her that piece of himself.
The current affairs piece was wrapping up and Tamsyn forced her attention back to the screen.
“And do you have a name for the center?” the presenter asked.
“Yes, I do. I’m naming it for a very special woman. To honor her strength and my love and admiration for her, I’m calling it, Tamsyn’s Place.”