CHAPTER SEVEN
COLUMBUS, OHIO
OCTOBER 1856-1861
Tennie rushed into my arms at the train station. “You came! Oh, thank God you came.”
I held my sister close, only mildly surprised to see she was wearing the same dress as in my vision. “What is it, Tennie? What’s happened? Is it Ma?”
She kissed my cheek. “No, nothing like that. Ma and Pa are both fine. Everyone is. I”—her cheeks colored, and she looked away—“I couldn’t stand another day alone in this place. You have no idea, Vickie. It’s even worse than it was before.” She looped her arm in mine, finally nodding at Canning. “Come home. You’ll see.”
“Home” was a large house on the outskirts of Columbus where Tennie saw clients, Buck sold his snake oil, and Utica and Maggie, now divorced with four children to feed, entertained gentleman c
