Once Upon a Summertime (12 page)

“Great.” He led her to a vending machine. “You can get your subway pass here. I suggest you get this one.” He pointed
to a spot on the machine. “It's the best value if you think you'll ever be using the subway again.”

“Well, it's all Greek to me,” she said as she retrieved her debit card and slid it through the slot. “I do plan to use the subway.”

“I don't like to sound paranoid,” he said, “but I always give these machines a good look to make sure there's no monkey business.”

“Monkey business?” She retrieved her subway card. “What do you mean?”

“Identity theft.” He pointed to the slot where she'd inserted her debit card. “If you ever see a black plastic piece stuck on around here, be suspicious.” He explained how criminals would adhere a camouflaged camera in place to photograph victims' cards as well as PIN numbers. “They design the device to look like it belongs there. Most people don't even notice it.”

“Wow, thanks for pointing that out to me.”

“Emily—that's my ex.” He gave her a crooked smile as they got in line. “She used to accuse me of being an overly vigilant, über-protective, type A personality.” He made a sheepish shrug. “I suppose in some ways she was right.”

“Well, I appreciate your help,” she assured him. “The truth is, I feel like a fish out of water in this big city. I'd really like to fit in better, but I think it's going to take some time.”

The train came rushing toward them. “Just follow my lead,” he said quickly, but instead of going ahead of her, he gently directed her from behind. Before she knew it they were on the train, the doors whooshed closed, and the train took off.

Anna gave him a nervous but grateful smile. As the train
sped through the underground tunnel, she felt split in two. Half of her was falling for this guy—falling hard. The rest of her, the sensible half, was holding back. They were co-workers and if she wanted to maintain and protect her job at the Rothsberg—a position she desperately needed—she had to keep a sensible professional distance. That was just what she intended to do.

How was it possible that one's entire
life direction could change in the course of a single day? Never mind that it was a beautiful, magical sort of day. The kind of blue-skies-and-sunshine day where the very air smelled fresh and good and where noisy children were charming, old people were photogenic, and everything around her looked shiny and bright and new. It was the kind of incredibly wonderful day that only comes once in a lifetime. Oh, she knew that sounded like exaggeration, but deep inside she knew it was true. There were moments, like when they both were silently awestruck by the majestic Lady Liberty, when Anna felt like she was starring in her own film—with Sean playing the romantic lead. It was that good!

Even so, she still could not afford to allow this amazing day to derail her life and her plans. She had to remember what was at stake—and where she had been stuck for the last two years. Did she really want to go back to that? No, she could not give in to the magic of this day. Yet how could she stop it?

Despite her resolve, Anna had felt herself helplessly slipping even as they waited to board the ferry that would take them to visit Ellis Island. All because Sean had knelt down to help a young boy tie his shoe. The boy's parents were distracted by their other two younger children, and this young fellow had been on the verge of tears, trying to get his shoe tied like his mom had kept insisting must be done before it was time to board the boat. Anna had suppressed the urge to grab her phone and take a photo of this sweet scene as Sean consoled the boy and helped him with his laces. Instead, she took a mental picture. That way it would be only for her.

They boarded the ferry, and soon she and Sean were standing together alongside the boat's railing, gazing out over the bright blue water toward the tall green statue. Anna tried to keep her countenance serene, but a battle was waging inside of her. She had no idea how she would keep these overwhelming feelings suppressed throughout the day. Especially since it was still morning!

She wondered if it was useless. Perhaps the best thing would be to just give in. Let the chips fall where they may. Because everything about Sean was so appealing, so unexpected, so perfect. It wasn't just his looks. Even if he was unattractive—and the truth was, she wished that he was a little less gorgeous—she knew she'd still be falling for him. She loved that Sean was so in the moment, so involved and interested in everything around him, and at the same time so involved and interested in her. She could tell that to the casual observer, she and Sean looked like a real couple. And she liked that. At the same time, she was vexed at herself for liking it.

“Ellis Island suffered a lot of damage during Hurricane
Sandy.” Sean pointed to the island up ahead. “The whole island was submerged and the basements flooded. A lot of the old photos and documents were damaged.”

“Oh dear.” Anna shook her head. “Was there any way to save them?”

“Yes. They're with conservationists in Maryland. They're being restored, and as the various exhibit areas are repaired and reopened, they'll bring all the artifacts back.”

“That's good to know. There's so much history packed into this place.”

“Anyway, a lot of the exhibits have opened back up,” he explained. “I'm not sure if the elevator is working yet, though. I heard someone say that as a result of Sandy, they had been running the island tours in a way that was very similar to how it was when our ancestors came. Kind of bare bones.”

“Oh, I like that.” Anna nodded.

“Yeah. So do I.”

Sean told her about how his great-great-grandparents came to America from Ireland in the early 1900s. “Growing up, I never thought anything of their migration. It was living in Ireland the past few years that made me curious about them.”

“Why is that?”

“I was curious as to why they left. I mean, I realize Ireland has had more than its share of problems. English oppression. Religious bickering. The economy. But being there and seeing everything, well, I wondered why my grandparents gave up on it. Ireland is such a beautiful place.” He turned to look at her. “Have you ever been there?”

“No, but I'd love to see it someday. When I was in college,
learning hotel management, Ireland was on my short list of places that interested me.”

“Well, you should go then. It's a truly magical land. At one point I considered making a permanent home there myself.”

“With Emily?” Even as she said this, she wished she hadn't.

He simply nodded. “I know now that wasn't meant to be.”

“Still, you didn't remain in Ireland,” she pointed out. “Maybe you're more like your grandparents than you realize.”

He turned to grin at her. “Maybe I am.”

“I realize that visiting Ellis Island is different for everyone,” she said quietly. “I've even heard it described as a spiritual experience. I want you to know that if you need to do some exploring on your own, I totally understand.”

He peered into her eyes, and she couldn't help but notice that his were the same color as the deep blue water behind him. “Thank you for offering that, Anna. That's very thoughtful. If I get really wrapped up in something, which might happen, I encourage you to keep on moving. I've got your phone number, so we can always reconnect later.”

“Yes. That's a good plan.” She felt a mixture of relief and angst. On one hand, she would be glad to put some space between them. It would give her a chance to compose herself and deal with these feelings. On the other hand, was he tired of her already? She watched with wonder as the large building came into sight. “It looks like a palace,” she said quietly.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Sean responded. “It must've been a welcome sight to the immigrants.”

Anna studied the architecture of the building as the ferry slipped up to the dock. It appeared to be constructed of red bricks with lots of white trim. What gave it the palace look was the four towers, one on each corner. They were topped
with green domes, probably copper that had turned verdigris. But the general appearance was quite regal.

As they disembarked with the others, a quiet hush came over the passengers, as if they were all imagining what it must've been like for immigrants in this moment—how they would have felt after a long hard ocean voyage. Anna honestly didn't know if any of her ancestors had passed through here. She was aware that some of her family's roots in America were very old, as in pre–Ellis Island old. But it was likely that some of her family members, particularly on her father's side, which was mostly a blank slate to her, would have come through Ellis Island.

Anna had overheard someone saying that since they were here early in the day, it wouldn't be as busy as it would get later. Even so, it was fairly crowded. Something about the crowd of people made this feel important. Like they'd all been on this journey together. As they approached the impressive building, Anna tried to imagine her own unknown ancestors. Where had they come from? How had they felt? What were their dreams? She glanced around at others in the group and could tell they were experiencing similar thoughts. An elderly couple both had tears in their eyes. When she looked up at Sean, she could tell this was moving him as well.

For that reason, she decided to give him space right from the start. Giving him a little finger-wave, she pretended to be interested in a plaque of historical information, allowing him to go ahead without her. She read the words on the plaque, trying to absorb the enormity of what it said. Twelve million immigrants had entered America through the golden door of Ellis Island, and today, the descendants of those immigrants
accounted for almost half of the American people. Surely that number must include her.

Feeling even more certain that she was a descendant of some dearly departed immigrant, Anna proceeded into the building. As soon as she was inside, she was awestruck by the beautiful architecture. With its high domed ceilings and massive arched windows, the museum felt like a cathedral, as if something deeply spiritual had transpired here. To her surprise, she felt tears fill her eyes as she followed the group inside. She took her time at the American Flag of Faces, watching as visitors pulled up names of ancestors. She wasn't the only one to shed a tear. Such history—it was moving and amazing.

She continued on through the various exhibits, feeling more and more like she was part of this; even if she couldn't name names, she belonged here. By now she'd lost track of Sean, but she was glad for this separation. All the feelings and conflicts she'd experienced earlier were unsettling, almost uncomfortable. She needed a break. Even if it was a slightly emotional one.

Anna went from exhibit to exhibit, pausing often to take in the incredible architecture of the building—the giant arched windows, the way the light reflected from the tiled ceiling—it was really amazing. She paused to study an interesting display of old pieces of luggage, baskets, and trunks, the containers used by immigrants to transport their meager belongings to their new home. More than a few times, Anna lost herself just staring into the faces of immigrants come to life in the enlarged black-and-white photographs.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she eventually found herself on the second floor, staring at a life-sized
statue. It was a bronze of a young Irish woman named Annie Moore, the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island in 1892. What captivated Anna was the look of wonder, hope, fear, expectation . . . and a trace of sadness, probably for what she'd left behind. She knew it was silly to compare herself to that brave young woman of time gone by, but she really felt she could relate. Anna remembered her own feelings upon arriving in New York just two days ago—wonder, hope, fear, expectation, and yes, a trace of sadness for what she'd left behind. Truly, Anna from Springville and Annie from Ireland were not so very different.

“Here you are,” Sean said as he joined her. “I just tried to call your cell, but it seems to be off.”

She turned to him, feeling slightly dazed, as if she'd just been dragged back into the present. “Sorry. I think I lost track of the time.”

“Who's this?” Sean looked at the bronze.

“One of your ancestors, perhaps,” she teased. “Meet Annie Moore from Ireland. Annie, meet Sean O'Neil, a descendant of Ireland.”

Sean pretended to shake the statue's hand. “You're a comely lass, Annie,” he said in a perfect Irish accent. “'Tis pleased to make your acquaintance, I am.”

“I was just thinking that Annie and I had some things in common,” Anna admitted.

“Your names, for instance?”

She nodded. “Plus being newcomers to New York. Embarking on a new life. Feeling uncertain but hopeful.”

He smiled as he slipped a hand around her shoulders, giving her a friendly squeeze. “Welcome to the new world, Anna.”

She liked the feel of his arm around her . . . and yet she knew she shouldn't. “What time has it gotten to be?” She looked at her watch as if the time really mattered.

“I'm not sure what the clocks say, but my stomach is saying it's lunchtime. If we skedaddle we can probably catch the next ferry. I think it leaves in about twenty minutes, but I hear there could be a line by now.”

They hurried down the stairs and outside to where there was a line waiting to get onto the next ferry. As they joined the end of it, Sean explained his plan for the remainder of the day. “I figured since this was our big day to act like tourists, we should just go for it. That is, if you're game.”

She nodded. “I'm game.”

“Cool.” He pulled out his iPhone. “Not everyone would be into this.”

“What?”

“A hop-on, hop-off double-decker tour of the city.”

“A what?”

Sean laughed. “Vincent actually told me about it. He said it was the quickest way to see the New York sights. He even offered to reimburse me for it. Part of my training as manager.”

“Really?”

Sean explained how the double-decker bus's runs were between ten and thirty minutes and how you could get on and off as you liked, creating your own personal tour as you went. “You still game?”

“Absolutely!”

“We'll get our passes as soon as we get off the ferry. But before we start hopping around, we have to get some lunch.”

“Sounds good to me.”

As they boarded the ferry, Anna noticed that the clear blue
sky from this morning was clouding up. But the air, even out here on the water, was still very warm. Warm and muggy. “Do you think it's going to rain?” she asked Sean.

“I heard they were predicting thundershowers for Monday. I thought today was supposed to be clear.” He frowned up at the sky. “But you never know.”

It was nearly 2:00 and pushing ninety degrees when Anna and Sean, armed with hot dogs, chips, and large sodas, climbed to the top of a double-decker bus, finding a pair of vacant seats in the back.

“This is great,” Anna said she sat down. “What a vantage point.”

“This bus takes the Downtown Loop,” Sean told her. “I picked it since it was closer to where we live. Help us to familiarize ourselves with our neighborhood. But we won't have time to stop and see everything.”

“How long would that take?” Anna sipped her soda.

“Probably until tomorrow—but the busses stop at night.” He took a big bite of his hot dog. “If we stayed on the bus, no hopping on and off, it would take a couple hours to see everything.”

“I wonder if we can do both. I mean, I'd like to see everything listed here.” She held up the pamphlet Sean had given her. “But maybe we just pick the ones we most want to hop out and see.” They decided to hop out for the Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. The rest of the places they would see from the bus. Anna peered up at the sky. It was even cloudier now. She wondered if those thundershowers were really going to hold off until tomorrow.