“This is the most amazing room I’ve ever seen,” Sully said.

“This is where I paint,” Elliot said.

“You’re an artist?” Sully asked.

Elliot smiled. “Back in my day, a most successful one. You might even say I was famous in certain circles.”

Sully’s eyes widened. “Wow. Apologies for my ignorance, sir. Now I’m going to have to do a little research to see what that’s all about.”

Elliot led him over to a painting on an easel in the center of the room.

“This is for you,” he said.

It was a portrait of a young woman nursing the baby she was cradling. Her face was in partial profile, but the Madonna-like smile on her lips and the tender curve of her cheek as she watched the baby nurse were so lifelike Sully half expected the girl to look up.

“She’s alive,” Sully said softly, then he began to notice details. The baby’s dark hair. The red and blue embroidery on the sleeves of her blouse.

And then he saw the necklace resting just above the burgeoning curves of milk-filled breasts, and without thinking, he moved closer, his focus entirely on the silver pendant hanging from a fragile silver chain.

His head came up, his heart pounding from the shock of what he’d seen.

“Who is this? Why are you giving it to me?”

“Because it’s you and your mother. I saw it the day when you put the letter in my hand.”

“You saw it? What do you mean, you saw it?” Sully asked.

“In my head. I see lots of things in my head. Some have already happened. Some are yet to come. That’s Janie Chapman with her baby boy, Johnny. Is that also your name?” Elliot asked.

Sully was in shock. “You painted this for me?”

“Yes, of course. Spirit wanted you to have it.”

“Oh my God. Elliot…I don’t know what to say. This is beautiful. She’s beautiful. And that necklace around her neck… I have it.”

“Your father gave it to her when they were still together. Do you know what it is?” Elliot asked.

“Other than it’s some kind of cross, no.”

“It’s a Byzantine cross. That’s a symbol of the ancient Greeks. And since your father’s name is Adamos, which is also a Greek name, I would say it all fits! I love it when a thing comes together like that, don’t you?”

Sully heard Elliot talking, but he could only nod. He wanted the girl to look up. He wanted to see her face-to-face. He wanted her to tell him what had happened. How did so much love become displaced?

When he noticed the baby’s hand was fiercely clutching his mother’s little finger as he nursed, tears welled.

Elliot took a step closer to Sully. “I think this is why your parents didn’t tell you about her. There’s a soul connection between mother and child, and I think it frightened them.”

Sully tore his gaze away from the painting and looked straight into Elliot’s eyes. They were sparkling—almost dancing—as if they’d seen the secrets of the universe but weren’t ever going to tell.