July 1964

"Helen's funeral was the next week," Annie said, her attention focused on the patchwork square she was ironing.

Jess saw her blink hard, and leaned forward to resume sewing, blinking back her own tears.

"Your uncle was–"

Annie lifted her head, seemingly searching for the right words before she looked at Jess. "He was distant, like he wasn't there. I know he was trying to push away the grief while he was in public, but after we came home, he was still acting that way. As soon as we were in the house, he told Billy to go back to New York, he didn't need his help anymore. He was so cold when he said it, I know it hurt your father a great deal. Billy never came back to visit us after that. We never got to see him or your mother again."

"Do you think that's why my dad didn't make arrangements with the lawyers so he wouldn't inherit the trust?" Jess asked.

Annie's sad eyes became softer. "No, pumpkin. Your father would never have done that. There wasn't a vindictive bone in his body."

"I don't understand why he didn't talk to the lawyers and get it fixed," Jess cried. "I remember when I was little, he was happy with his job on Wall Street and he loved living in the city. From what you've said, he never liked working at the mine, even when he was a kid. Why didn't he take care of it like he told Uncle Jonathon he was going to?"

Annie set the iron on its end and brought a stack of ironed quilt squares to the table, sitting across from Jess. "Billy left on the first train the next morning, so he couldn't see the lawyers before then. And when he got home, he probably thought he had time. The inheritance wasn't going to be an issue until something happened to your uncle. He probably thought he'd live longer since he was the youngest."

Jess slumped. "You're probably right," she said, but she couldn't help imagining how different things might have been if he hadn't waited.

"The day after the funeral, your uncle went back to work.  Before he left, he told me to have Helen's belongings out of the house before he came home. I had to get James to help me gather it all – her clothes, photographs, jewelry – everything had to be collected. With the way your uncle was acting, I was afraid of what he'd do if he found I'd missed anything."

"What did you do with all of it?"

"I hid it in the attic. I thought Doug would want some of Helen's things when he was older. But since he's still living here with your uncle, we can't bring them out."

"That's not fair to Doug. He should be able to have his mother's things, like her pictures."

"He knows they're there. He can see them whenever he wants.  He just loves his father too much to hurt him by putting the pictures out."

"Was it the same thing with the cabin? Did Uncle Jonathon forbid anyone to go there?"

"He never talked about the cabin. It was as if it didn't exist anymore, and I knew I should never mention it either. It was just too painful. Anything that reminded him of her her was too painful for him. You see, your uncle never recovered from losing Helen. It broke something inside him."

Jess remembered Annie telling her the same thing over the years, but until this moment, she didn't think she fully understood how much of a change her uncle had gone through. The way Annie had described him as a teenager and young man, he was certainly full of himself and cocky, but he had the capacity to care about others, to feel sympathy for the problems other people faced. That person wasn't anything like the Uncle Jonathon she'd grown up with.

Annie's gaze shifted to the window. "He threw himself into his work, spending long hours and weekends there. To everyone else he must have seemed a pillar of strength, but I knew the truth. He was trying to bury his emotions with work so he wouldn't feel anything. Sometimes I would see hints of his old self when he was with Doug and I'd hope he was finally healing, but... he never did. As the years passed, I did what I could to help him and I tried to be good mother to Doug, the same kind of mother as Helen."

Jess watched her, wondering if she would say more. There was still one question she was dying to know the answer. Did she dare bring it up? She waited, but Annie kept quiet, and she made a decision. Today was the day there would be no more secrets between her and Annie.

"Is that how you fell in love with Uncle Jonathon?" she asked.

Annie's eyes widened with shock. "What?"

"It's alright. I've known about it for a long time."

Annie shook her head. "I – don't – I didn't – I–" she sputtered.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up," Jess said, immediately regretting asking. She didn't want to cause Annie distress. "You don't have to say anything."

Annie pressed her lips together, but in the silence that followed, she seemed to be debating with herself. "I'm not surprised you saw it," she said finally. "You've always been good at reading people. What I was going to say was, I didn't mean for it to happen. Helen was my best friend. I loved her dearly."

Jess put her hand on Annie's arm to reassure her. "I know you didn't."

"I was busy raising Doug, and taking care of the house and your uncle, and then one day–" Guilt crossed her face. "I realized I cared about him – a lot more."

"Did you ever tell him how you felt about him?"

Annie straightened in her chair. "Oh, no! I wouldn't dare bring it up."

"Why not?"

"It wouldn't be proper. He's Jonathon Blackwell, and I'm – just a housekeeper."

"You're not just a housekeeper! After all the time you've been with him, and all the things you've been through together, don't you think his feelings for you have grown too?"

"No." She picked up two of the quilt squares. "I don't know," she said more quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if he's afraid to love anyone else. He's been hurt so many times in the past when he's lost people he loved."

She bent over, concentrating on pinning the squares together, and Jess knew she was wasn't going to say anymore. Jess adjusted the fabric in front of her to guide it through the sewing machine, but she didn't press the foot peddle, too many thoughts racing through her mind.

The whole time she'd lived with her uncle, she'd known his coldness towards her and Annie was the result of him becoming bitter from losing his wife and infant son. But what if Annie was right? What if he was keeping everyone at a distance so he wouldn't care too much and be hurt again?

In spite of everything that had happened between Jess and her uncle, it made her sad that in the eighteen years since his wife's death, he was never able to find true peace and happiness. How different would all of their lives have been if he'd been able to move beyond his grief and accept Annie's love? But maybe it wasn't too late for him.

"I think he does care about you," Jess said firmly, and Annie lifted her head. "Don't you remember everything he did for you when your sister got sick? And there were other times when he went out of his way to do things for you." She was thinking of the day they'd dropped Doug off at college. Annie had been overwhelmed with emotion and Uncle Jonathon had comforted her by holding her hand.

"You could be right," Annie said with a sigh. "But I don't know if he'll ever be able to admit it to himself."

"One day he might," Jess offered.

Annie shrugged. "Perhaps. Oh, my goodness!" she said suddenly. "Your uncle is home!"

Jess looked out the window and saw James behind the wheel of the black car as it came down the drive.

"Please don't say anything to him about what I've told you!" Annie said.

"I wouldn't do that."

"He'll be angry if he knew I'd talked about Helen and what happened in the past."

"I know."

"I better go, I'll be back in a minute," she said, and rushing to the butler's pantry.

Jess watched James park the car next to her sedan, wondering if remaining in the kitchen was the right thing to do. After everything Annie had told her, she felt the need to see her uncle.  She joined Annie in the foyer just as Uncle Jonathon was coming through the front door with his briefcase and a handful of mail.

"How was your day?" Annie said with a smile.

When Uncle Jonathon lifted his head, he noticed Jess behind Annie, and immediately dropped his eyes. "It was alright," he said, taking off his fedora.

"Hello, Uncle Jonathon," Jess said.

"Jessica," he said with a nod, but he kept his attention on the mail in his hand.

The hair at his temples was more grey than Jess remembered, but other than that, he was much the same as when he'd come to New York City to get Jess seven years ago. He'd changed so little in that time while Jess had grown from a gawky teen into a woman.

"I was going to reheat last night's tuna casserole for dinner since I've been busy helping Jess with the baby's quilt," Annie said. "I can heat it now if you're hungry."

"I can wait."

He was still avoiding looking at Jess, and it suddenly occurred to her that he was intimidated by her presence. It was a remarkable revelation, especially because this was the first time she wasn't intimidated by being so close to him.

"Well, we'll be in the kitchen," Annie said brightly. "Let me know when you're ready to eat."

"I will." He turned abruptly, going into the grand parlor with his mail as if he wanted to escape.

Annie looped her arm through Jess's and led her down the hall. "See what I mean?" she said in a low voice. "He's doing much better now that he's working again."

"You're right," Jess said, but what she was thinking was after everything she'd learned that day, she was able to see her uncle as just a man, a sad and lonely man.

"I should get going," she said when they reached the kitchen. "I promised Marty I'd have dinner with him, and I'm sure Doug and Donna will be home soon. I can come back another time to work on the quilt."

"We got a lot done today," Annie said while Jess helped her gather fabric and sewn quilt strips. "We only have a little bit of sewing left, and then you can tie the layers of the quilt together."

"I'm really happy with the design."

Annie grinned. "I think the baby's going to love it

Once everything was stored away in Annie's bedroom, Jess gave her a hug. "Thanks for helping me," she said, her words taking on a lot more meaning than just the quilt.

"It's my pleasure, pumpkin. I'll let you know when Donna is going to be out of the house again."

Jess smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."

The sun was starting to dip low in the horizon when Jess drove into town, but the air was still hot. She parked in the alley behind her apartment house, but went directly to Dwyer's Drugs, anxious to see Marty.

"Hey!" he said, his brown eyes lighting up when he saw her come through the front entrance.

"Hi, Marty. Hello, Mr. Dwyer."

"Hello, Jess," Mr. Dwyer said from behind the soda fountain.

"Did you have fun with Annie?" Marty asked, putting his arm around her waist.

"We had a nice visit, and we got a lot done with the baby's quilt."

"That's good. Is it alright if I go now, Mr. Dwyer?" Marty asked.

"Sure, son," Mr. Dwyer said, with a wave of his hand.

"We should be back in an hour to help close up," Marty said before taking Jess outside. "Where do you want to eat?"

Jess laced her fingers through his when he took her hand.  "I was thinking we haven't been to the Golden Skillet in a while."

"That sounds good."

Walking down the sidewalk hand in hand, Jess's mind went back to everything Annie had told her about her uncle's past. She didn't excuse his terrible behavior towards her, Marty, Doug, and Annie, but she understood him a lot better.

In spite of everything that had happened between her and her uncle, she was able to look back on her years in his home as happy ones. She and Doug had become like siblings, and Annie was a loving mother. The hours spent with Marty in the cabin or at the pond had been magical, and they'd formed a strong bond, one that had grown into true love.

"You're being awfully quiet," Marty said, interrupting her thoughts.

"I guess I am," Jess said with a laugh. "Too many thoughts."

"Thoughts about what?" Marty said, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"Well – I finally had the chance to ask Annie about the cabin."

"Oh?"

"I have a lot to tell you," Jess said, leaning closer to him. "It's quite a story."

"I can't wait to hear it," Marty said, and leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips.

*

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It's over!  And I have to say, I can't believe it.  I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it was a satisfying ending!  Doesn't make you want to read Boy all over again?

It took me a little longer to write because I was also writing my chapter for the #WattpadBlockParty Winter Edition III.  I decided to write the chapter where Uncle Jonathon finds out Billy has died.  It was the perfect time to write that part of Jonathon's story, since it dovetails with the end of this story and the beginning of The Boy in the Woods.  I can say it turned out to be quite a chapter, and I can't wait to share it with you on February 4th! 

I will be making a special chapter posting in this story to announce when it's been posted, so if you have this one in your library, you'll get the notification AND you'll get something special here that day as well. 

I want to thank everyone who made suggestions for the epilogue.  You helped me more than you'll ever know.  JenGen peppij29 HelenGraul TheresaZoe PennyZee axgordon MinTimothy333 cozza_frenzy OverTheCloud huwaini iamcrazyforlove katierozsa jessthereader14 ShipsXAnchors ojoeybooks2 blondemoldovian @pratz7 aeadlyns TheWizardGuy thatwritergirly haleybear9023 AmISam Fandomacc JessicaLove956 Madann17 rabiahsaidu bye-for-now Mussa7306 euphy08

And thank you to everyone who's been reading and commenting on this story!  I love you all and your support means so much. 

Happy reading!  

Katherine