Tess Rafferty

Tess Rafferty is a single middle aged woman living in Coldwater, Michigan. She is the part owner of a daycare center in town. She is the first woman to receive a phone call from a deceased relative; her mother, Ruth.

Tess does not tell anyone about the initial contact because she is afraid that she is either losing her mind, that no one would believe her, and because she wasn't sure how to tell anyone about it, anyway.

The first person she tells is Jack, who confesses that he, too, has been contacted. Later, Tess stands up at the town hall meeting along with six others who share that they've been contacted. She was curious when Jack did not make a declaration at that point, but understood his reasons.

Jack and Tess become involved romantically toward the end of the book. Tess's life was not easy before...