when there were more heroes than scoundrels, even if that conflicted with reality.
She believed the same about Youkelstein, who was also being hailed as a survivor who sought justice. And since his body was laid to rest deep in the caves beneath Flavia’s property, it likely would never be found, and Veronica and her children would never have to be questioned about the shooting or what led to it.
And Eddie’s police family continued his legacy as the protector. They wouldn’t allow anyone to get within a hundred feet of Veronica’s house, or the children at school. This police protection wasn’t for any reprisals or revenge from the Nazis or Kingston supporters—it was from the media. The last thing Veronica wanted was their association with Ellen to cause them to be dragged back into a drama they never asked for.
Veronica looked at her children through her camera lens. Jamie was running and jumping into the piles of leaves like he was performing a cannonball dive into a swimming pool. Maggie had bunched handfuls of leaves under her shirt. She yelled, “Look Mom—I look like a pregnant lady!”
Oh God—no! It’s way too early to even start thinking about those things.
Veronica thought again of her natural instinct to protect. Did that mean that nature would eventually win out in the never-ending debate?
That’s what scared her.
Did this mean Maggie and Jamie had a ticking time bomb inside them? Did she give birth to Rosemary’s babies? According to many accounts, including Ellen’s, Hitler didn’t embrace his vile views until his teens. Before that, he was supposedly just a passionate artist with a temper—sort of like Maggie.
So every time Jamie poisoned a classmate’s lunch or Maggie displayed a passion for politics, Veronica would wonder if it was the zest of youth, or a cancer spreading inside them. For a mother, it was eternal damnation—they might have caught the bad guys, but this would never be over.
She wanted to believe the Ellen view of nurture. That a mother could guide the child through the events that shape their life for the better or worse, and send them down the right path. It was an empowering viewpoint. Even if according to some, this made her a narcissist.
Flavia believed that neither nature nor nurture shaped children. While providing a good home and values might be helpful, in the end it’s up to the individual to make the correct decisions on their actions. And there can be no predictive analysis of what those decisions will be when presented with the unpredictable choices life will present.
And it wasn’t just Flavia who believed this. Veronica again thought of Anne Frank, who wrote: The final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.
A car pulled up the driveway, stealing Veronica’s gaze.
Zach and TJ.
TJ gave Veronica the abrupt hello of a twelve-year-old, then did a beeline to Maggie and Jamie. He dove into the leaf pile like it was the town pool.
Zach approached her with a big grin. “So, did you do anything interesting last week, Ms. Peterson?”
She smiled back at him. “I didn’t think you’d have time for us common folk anymore, Mr. Big Shot. What’s next—anchoring the national news?”
He maintained his contented smile. “No, I’m happy where I’m at. Once you hit the bottom you realize how silly all that stuff is.”
He handed Veronica a bound document. “What’s this?” she asked.
“It’s a printed copy of Ellen’s memoir. I erased the copy in the safe-deposit box.”
“Why’d you do that? I figured you were going to publish it. You have my blessing as long as Maggie and Jamie aren’t mentioned.” She smiled, before adding, “And that you take us to the Rainforest Café with some of the royalties you earn, of course.”
Zach shook his head. “All that would do is cause more burden for your kids that they didn’t ask for.” His face saddened as he looked out at TJ. “If anyone has learned about putting burdens on children, it’s Sara and me.”
He pulled out the tape Youkelstein gave him, and asked, “Do you think I’m a good reporter?”
“The best.”
“Well, not as good as Maggie, because she asked the most important question in this whole thing—why was he chosen? And when I arrived at the farmhouse, I overheard the back-end of your conversation with Youkelstein. The part where he was outlining his motivation for what he was doing. I think he answered the question. In fact, I think Ellen already answered it for you on that video she left you—the one that