Page 47 of To the Moon and Back
Ashley couldn’t read the story fast enough. The opening paragraph explained that in honor of the twenty-year anniversary the paper was doing a series of profiles on the victims and their surviving family members. How life had changed when the bomb exploded through the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
“Dear God, thank You,” Ashley whispered. Her hands trembled as she scanned the article for the names Bill and Betsy Phillips. The two weren’t quite thirty years old when they reported for work at the federal building in downtown Oklahoma City that April 19, 1995. Betsy on the third floor, and Bill on the fifth.
Ashley could picture the couple saying goodbye to their little girl, heading off to work. Parking across the street and climbing out of the same car, headed to their separate jobs. They couldn’t have known it would be the last time.
Ashley kept reading. Both Bill and Betsy were killed when the bomb went off, but their only daughter, five-year-old Elizabeth Jenna, had survived. Safe at home with her grandmother, who had moved to Oklahoma City a year before the bombing. Otherwise she might’ve been in the daycare when the attack happened.
Apparently the child went by the name Jenna. Her grandmother once said even though her daughter and son-in-law had missed seeing Jenna grow up, they would’ve been grateful she survived. Grateful that she had been raised by her grandmother. The girl had eventually finished school and married.
Married? Ashley closed her eyes. Brady was going to be heartbroken. She couldn’t imagine being the one to tell him the news. That is, if this was her. And Ashley believed it was.
She opened her eyes and kept reading.
This part of the feature finished with Elizabeth Jenna Phillips—now Davis—graduated from college in Texas and is currently a teacher in Columbus, Ohio.
That was all there was. The article ended with a section on the memorial, the husband-and-wife team who designed it and how many visitors came through each year.
Ashley’s head was spinning.
She stared at the screen.
She couldn’t believe it! This was the best and worst news. She’d found Brady’s girl, but she was married. She was Jenna Davis now. A teacher in Columbus. At least it seemed that way. Ashley wasn’t sure what to do next. She started to set the laptop down, to head inside the house, but then she stopped herself.
Where was she going? She couldn’t call Brady out of the blue. Besides, she hadn’t actually found Jenna. But she’d most likely found more information than Brady had discovered in all these years.
All because of her father’s suggestion.
Her hands were shaking so hard she could barely type. Facebook. She needed to look there first. In case Jenna Davis wasn’t the one Brady was looking for. She entered “Jenna Davis” in the search line and several names appeared. One of them lived in Columbus.
She clicked it. “God, You’re amazing.” She whispered the words, her eyes glued to the young woman’s profile page as it came up. Jenna Davis. Teacher at Martin Luther King Junior Elementary School. Ashley enlarged her profile picture as big as she could make it.
The photo was of Jenna surrounded by twenty children. Ashley hesitated. If this was Brady’s Jenna, married and living in Columbus, at least he’d have closure. Maybe that’s what she was supposed to bring to the situation. A reason for Brady to let go. She scrolled down Jenna’s page.
Ashley kept reading until she saw something that stopped her cold. It was a status she’d posted on Christmas Eve.
A status that changed everything.
Beneath a Christmas photo of the front door of what must’ve been Jenna’s house she had written this: Thankful that with God, I’m not alone this Christmas. I never will be.
Alone? Ashley blinked a few times, trying to understand. Another five minutes of searching her time line and Ashley was sure. Jenna was divorced. Whatever had happened, the young woman seemed to have faith and hope. At least according to her Christmas post.
Ashley hurt for Jenna, for everything the girl had been through. Losing her parents when she was so little, and then losing her husband. Whatever the situation. Yet, she appeared to be making it on her own. She seemed to enjoy teaching.
Assuming this was the same girl Ashley had been looking for, what did Jenna think about Brady?
Did he ever cross her mind? Or had she forgotten him after their one day together? Ashley looked more closely at Jenna’s face. The sweet girl-next-door look. But even still the hurt was there in her pretty green eyes.
Ashley took a deep breath. What to do next? Suddenly she remembered her message to Brady. All this time she’d been on Facebook studying Jenna’s profile and she hadn’t thought to check her in-box. She glanced at the icon on her screen and sure enough, there was a message.
She opened it and immediately she saw who it was from.
Brady Bradshaw.
And something else. The letter was longer than two words. She started at the beginning. He said he didn’t have much information except the year they met. She closed her eyes, picturing Brady finally deciding to trust her, to open up. Even a little. She blinked and kept reading. He described Jenna as looking like Emma Stone. And yes, he said he would try to help find a sapling Survivor Tree.
A few clicks and Ashley had Jenna’s picture back up. This had to be the same girl Brady had met that day. No question Jenna looked like the famous actress.
Ashley wanted to shout for joy. She’d done it. She had actually found Jenna. She went back to Brady’s letter and felt her heart melt a little. The tough guy had a soft side. Clearly. Otherwise he wouldn’t have been touched by Amy’s request. She found her place and finished reading. He closed by thanking her but he added that he didn’t think she’d have much luck finding Jenna.
