Free Since You've Been Gone by Carlene Thompson

the house and, knowing no one would be inside on this beautiful day, led Sean around back. Esther emerged from one of the greenhouses, immediately spotted Rebecca, and rushed to her, hugging her fiercely. “No one told me you were coming!” She leaned back and frowned. “Sweetheart, I heard about your wreck.”
    â€œFirst night home and I ran my car into a tree. I’m fine. I’m not so sure about the tree.”
    â€œTrees can be replaced. So can cars. You, my girl, cannot.” Esther glanced down at the dog. “And this must be the temperamental Sean you’ve told about in your calls. He’s beautiful, but we’ll let him make up his own mind about me.”
    â€œI think you’ll be on the acceptable list.”
    Rebecca looked at Esther closely. She’d feared the woman would look ill, debilitated, but she seemed just the same as she swept off her straw hat to reveal curly, shoulder-length silver hair that had never seen the inside of a styling salon. She had a weathered face, but her bright blue eyes belied her 75 years. Her tall body was slim as a girl’s; she wore jeans, a loose checked shirt, running shoes, and an ever-present tiny gold cross on a chain around her neck. “Frank didn’t call me about Todd until this morning,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “I can’t believe it! I wanted to go to Molly’s, but when I called, Bill told me to stay away for now.”
    â€œYou and me both. I guess it’s a madhouse of reporters and sightseers around Molly’s.”
    â€œDisgraceful!” Esther swiped at a tear that had run down her cheeks, then frowned. “But Todd was taken only last night. You couldn’t have gotten here so quickly even if they’d told you immediately.”
    â€œI… I…” Rebecca, the writer of fiction, went blank. “It was just a coincidence that I came home at the same time.”
    â€œOh phooey, Rebecca Ryan! Molly spilled the beans about my cancer. Oh, don’t gear up for a big denial. I see it in your eyes. But don’t you worry about me. I’m going to be fine. I’ll be running this nursery twenty years from now. I’m just burned up that I have lung cancer when I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life!”
    â€œOh, Aunt Esther, you’re wonderful!” Rebecca laughed as she hugged the woman again. “I should have known your spirits wouldn’t flag. They never do.”
    â€œThinking the worst doesn’t accomplish anything except to make you too depressed and upset to help yourself. And that’s what we all have to do. Help ourselves—and others, of course. You came here to see about me and now it turns out you’re here just in time to help Molly.”
    â€œOh, I don’t know, Aunt Esther. I certainly wasn’t much help to Jonnie.”
    â€œI’ve always believed that was because you were too close to the situation. The tie between you and Jonnie jumbled up your ESP—not that I really understand the whole concept, and not that I don’t have more than a little trouble accepting that such a thing can exist. But I saw it work too many times to doubt it anymore. And I do believe that God works in mysterious ways, even through something like ESP.”
    â€œI wish everyone were as levelheaded as you about the phenomenon. Some completely doubt it, some think it’s the work of the devil.”
    â€œWhen that Tanner man was killed, you saved an innocent man from being punished for murder. I don’t call that the devil’s work, and I dare anyone to say it is!”
    Rebecca had always loved Esther’s spunk, her general acceptance of life and all its joys as well as vicissitudes. She only wished her own mother had some of Esther’s spirit. “Come inside,” Esther said. “I made a fresh batch of lemonade and some gingersnaps this morning.”
    Esther always had lemonade and