by Sandi Lynn
Carter
I rented a private jet to fly us to California. When we arrived at our beach house, a sickness filled me. I slowly closed my eyes as I took in a deep breath. Our driver brought Nora’s wheelchair up to the porch while I inserted the key and unlocked the door. Sadie and Zoey stepped inside while I went back to the car to get Nora. After setting her in her wheelchair, I stood in the foyer as all the memories came flooding back in my mind.
“This is beautiful,” Zoey spoke.
“Welcome to Casa Grayson in Malibu.” Nora smiled.
“I had one of the rooms down here made up for you,” I spoke to Nora.
“Thanks, big brother. Hey, are you okay?” She lightly grabbed my hand.
“I’m fine.”
“I want to go down to the beach,” she spoke.
“Now?” I asked. “I think we should get settled first.”
“I’ll take her.” Zoey smiled.
“Fine. Maybe I’ll come down in a while,” I spoke as I walked away.
I took my bags up to my bedroom, and I swallowed hard as my hand slowly turned the knob and I opened the door. I stood there, paralyzed, as I stared into the room.
“It’s a beautiful day to spend on the beach.” She smiled as her lips pressed against my chest.
“Is that what we’re doing today?” I kissed the top of her head.
“Do you have a better idea?” she asked.
“I think I might.” I rolled her on her back and hovered over her.
“Is that so?” She grinned.
“It is. But it’s a surprise. So you’ll have to wait.”
“Not too long, I hope. Now you have me in suspense. I love surprises.”
“And I love surprising you.” My lips softly brushed against hers.
My eyes started to fill with tears, but I needed to remember why I was here.
Chapter 14
Zoey
I left Nora in her wheelchair on the patio while I went upstairs to get Carter. I needed his help getting her down to the beach. When I reached the top of the stairs, I saw him standing in the doorway of what I presumed was his bedroom.
“Hey, are you okay?” I asked.
He turned and looked at me with a disapproving look and stepped inside the room.
“I’m fine. I thought you were taking Nora to the beach.”
“About that. I need your help. I can’t push the wheelchair in the sand and she’s too weak to walk, even with my help.”
“I’ll be down in a minute,” he spoke in an irritated tone.
“Yeah. Okay,” I softly spoke and then went back downstairs.
A few moments later, Carter met us on the patio, picked up Nora from her wheelchair, and carried her down to where two chairs sat in the sand.
“When you’re ready to come back up, call me,” he spoke to her.
“Thank you, Carter.” She placed her hand on his arm. “You don’t want to stay with us?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
As soon as he walked away, I stared straight ahead at the blue ocean water, taking in the sounds of the waves hitting the shoreline.
“I feel bad for making him come here, but he needed to,” Nora spoke as she looked over at me.
“What do you mean? How long has it been?”
“Five years. He hasn’t been back here since Angelique and the baby died.”
“Why didn’t he sell it then?” I asked out of curiosity.
“I wouldn’t let him. The house is also in my name and I enjoy coming here. I know the memories are very painful for him, but he needs to face his pain and move on. He brought Angelique here to propose to her on this very beach just as the sun was setting. I’ll never forget that night he called me and told me she said yes. He was so excited.”
“I’m sure he was,” I spoke.
“I need to ask you something and I want the truth from you, Zoey.”
“Of course, Nora. What is it?”
“What did you mean when you told me you had a gift? That day you asked me about Angelique?”
I stared straight ahead at the ocean. A light breeze swept over my face before answering her question.
“I died when I was five years old, but it wasn’t my time, so they sent me back. When I woke up, I had an ability. The ability to see people who have passed on.”
“So you’ve been to Heaven?”
“I have, and it’s the most beautiful and peaceful place.” I rested my hand on hers. “You have nothing to fear, Nora. I promise you.”
“I’m not afraid. Especially now that you’re here. You mentioned to me before that Carter’s energy is very dark. Is that also something you can see?”
“I can see people’s auras and his is very black, which makes sense with the way he lives his life.”
“He keeps his emotions and feelings tightly locked up inside him,” she spoke. “He won’t heal, Zoey, and now with what’s happening to me, he’ll be alone and that terrifies me. That is why I need your help.”
“Like I told you before, I can only try and help him if he wants to be helped.”
She gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
“If anyone can get through to him, you can. I know it. I can feel it.”
I gave her a tender smile as the light breeze swept across my face.
“Are you ready to come back inside?” Carter asked as he walked up behind us.
“Yes. I need to lie down,” Nora replied.
He picked her up from the chair, and carried her back to the house and into her bedroom. I followed behind and made sure she was comfortable.
“I’ve opened your window so you can hear the ocean,” Carter spoke.
“Thank you. If the two of you don’t mind, I’m going to go to sleep now.”
Carter and I left the room and headed to the kitchen.
“I put your bags in the room next to Nora’s,” he spoke. “There’s only four bedrooms, two downstairs and two upstairs. Sadie and I will be upstairs.”
“Okay. Thanks,” I spoke.
I walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. Standing in front of the sink, I took a sip as I stared out the large window at the beautiful ocean view.
“It’s beautiful here. I can see why you bought it,” I spoke.
“Yeah, well, it will be going up for sale after—” He stopped.
I could feel his pain and anguish and I knew this house once held good memories for him, but he only saw them as bad ones. And as long as he stayed in this state, he would never live the life he was meant to live. I took in a deep breath.
“Memories are only bad because of the pain we let ourselves consume.”
“Excuse me?” he spoke.
“Nothing.” I shook my head.
“No! What did you mean by that?” He scowled as he approached me.
“I know how much it hurts you to be in this house and you’re only here because it’s Nora’s dying wish. But it doesn’t have to hurt, Mr. Grayson. Memories are a treasure and they were made with love. That’s what you need to remember. Embrace the memories here. Feel the good times and the love and remember what it’s like to live again.”
Anger consumed his eyes as he stared deeply into mine. I wasn’t turning away and I wasn’t letting him win. He needed to hear the words I had just spoken. Even if it meant that he would hate me even more than he already did.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!” He pointed his finger at me. “Stay out of my fucking business and my life!” he spoke through gritted teeth before turning his back and storming out the patio door.
I inhaled a deep breath and went to check on Nora.
Sadie made a nice dinner, and when I went into Nora’s room to see if she was hungry, she slowly opened her eyes.
“Are you up to eating anything?” I asked as I walked over and placed my hand on hers.
“I just need some water,” she moaned.
I picked up the cup of water from the nightstand and brought the s
traw up to her mouth. The moment she took a sip, she started choking.
“It’s getting harder to swallow,” she whispered as she lay back down. “I’m getting weaker and the headaches are getting worse. I’ve done all my research and I know what you have to do now. Prepare Carter for it, please.” She looked at me as a tear fell from her eye.
“I will, but right now, I need to call the doctor. I’ll be right back.”
I walked out of her room and into mine. Grabbing the white piece of paper from my purse, I made a call to Doctor Sutton, who was the physician that Nora’s doctor back in New York assigned to her while she was here in California. He was fully aware of her condition and prescribed everything she needed.
“Sadie made dinner for us and you can’t be bothered to sit and eat it? I thought you were just checking on Nora,” he spoke in a nasty tone as he stood in the doorway of my room.
“I need to talk to you, Mr. Grayson.”
“You can talk to me at the dinner table.” He scowled as he walked away.
Rolling my eyes, I stepped into Nora’s room to check on her and she was sound asleep. Walking into the dining room, I took the seat across from Carter and placed the napkin in my lap.
“What do you need to discuss with me?” he asked.
“I made a call to Dr. Sutton and he will be stopping by in about an hour to examine Nora and bring some supplies for her.”
“Why?”
“She’s having trouble swallowing and her headaches are getting worse. She’s going to need to be hooked up to an IV for fluids from here on out and it will be easier to push her meds when she needs them.”
“How the fuck is she supposed to eat? Are you going to give her a feeding tube?”
“At this point, a feeding tube will only provide her with liquids her body no longer needs and that can cause her to swell, making her more uncomfortable.”
“So you’re going to let her starve to death? Is that what you’re telling me?” he shouted.
“Mr. Grayson, her body no longer needs the nutrition and she has no appetite. You’ve witnessed how she’s been eating the past couple of weeks. I’ll have Sadie make her some cream of wheat if she wants food, but to be honest, she’s not going to want anything. Now we just have to try and make her as comfortable as possible.”
He threw his napkin on the table, got up from his chair, and stormed out the patio door. I stood up and watched as he walked down to the beach. Sadie looked at me as I went to go after him.
“Don’t, Zoey. Let him be for a while. If you go out there now, you’ll only make it worse. He needs time to process what you just told him.”
“You’re right.” I sighed as I sat down, picked up my fork and began to eat.
Chapter 15
Carter
I walked across the sand, shoes and socks still on my feet, and stood with my hands tucked in my pants pockets while I stared into the vast open water. Slowly closing my eyes, I listened to the crashing sounds of the waves as they hit the shoreline and the screams of the seagulls that flew overhead. As much as I thought I was prepared for this, I wasn’t.
After a while, I went back up to the house.
“Where’s Zoey?” I asked Sadie.
“She and the doctor are in with Nora,” she replied with a sad look.
I walked over to Nora’s bedroom and stood quietly at the door, watching the doctor examine her as Zoey hung the IV.
“You must be Mr. Grayson,” the doctor spoke. “Nora is resting comfortably and Zoey will keep me updated. Do you have any questions? I know how hard this is.”
“No.” I lightly shook my head. “I don’t have any questions.”
He gave me a sympathetic smile as he placed his hand on my shoulder.
“The best thing you can do is not to let her see you fall apart. She’s weak and you need to be her strength.”
We walked out of the room and I escorted him to the front door. After he left, I poured myself a glass of scotch and took it out on the patio. Darkness was falling and the stars were starting to make their appearance for the night. I took a seat in the lounge chair and sipped on my drink.
“Excuse me, Mr. Grayson. Is there anything I can get for you before I retire for the night?” Sadie asked.
“Tell Zoey I need to see her.”
A few moments later, I heard the patio door slide open.
“You wanted to see me?” Zoey’s voice spoke from behind.
“Have a seat.” I pointed to the lounge chair next to me. “Has Nora discussed any funeral arrangements with you?”
“No. She hasn’t. Why?”
I let out a long sigh. “She’s being very secretive about it and I want to know why.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I tried to talk to her about what her wishes were, and she told me that she already has everything arranged, and I will find out the details after her death. Are you sure you don’t know anything about it?”
“I’m positive, Mr. Grayson. She never said a word to me about it.”
“How much longer does she have to suffer?”
“Possibly a week, maybe two.”
“I need another drink,” I spoke as I got up from my chair and walked into the house.
“Drinking isn’t going to make all of this go away,” Zoey spoke as she followed me inside.
“We’re done talking, Zoey. I asked you a question, I got my answer, and now we’re done.”
I poured myself another scotch and brought the glass up to my lips. I stopped, set the glass down, and placed my hands on the bar. I needed to be sober for Nora.
One Week Later
In the course of a few days, Nora had multiple seizures, and every day, it was getting harder to watch her deteriorate. She was in and out of consciousness and pumped full of pain medication. I spent most of the day working in my office and holding meetings over Skype. Then I would go into her room, sit beside her bed, and talk to her. Half the time, she couldn’t hear me, but it didn’t matter.
I was sitting in my office when Zoey lightly knocked on the door.
“What is it?”
“Nora is asking for you,” she spoke.
I could tell something was wrong because of the sadness in her voice. Getting up from my chair and with a sick feeling in my stomach, I went and sat beside Nora.
“Hey.” I smiled. “I’m here now.”
She looked at me and a weak smile framed her lips.
“You’re going to be okay, Carter. Promise me.”
Tears filled my eyes, and even though I would never be okay again, I couldn’t tell her that.
“I’ll be fine.” I softly stroked her forehead. “I don’t want you worrying about me.”
“Growing up, you always worried about me. So now, it’s my turn to worry about you. You’re my brother and I love you,” she spoke in a soft and weak tone.
“I love you too, Nora.” I kissed her forehead.
“Zoey?” she called out.
“I’m right here,” Zoey spoke as she walked over to her bedside and took hold of her hand.
“They’re here. I can see them. Can you?”
Zoey smiled as she softly spoke, “Yes. I can see them.”
Nora turned her head and stared out the window as she took her last breath. Tears started to stream down my face as I lowered my head on her chest.
Chapter 16
Zoey
You would think when my patients died, it would be the hardest part of my job. But it wasn’t. Nora’s battle with her illness had ended and she was no longer suffering. Her soul left her body and she joined hands with her mother and father, who were waiting to take her home. Before fading into the distance, she turned to me and smiled. I smiled back as I waved goodbye to her.
I decided to leave the room and give Carter some time alone with his sister. Walking into my bedroom, I took my phone from the nightstand and called Dr. Sutton to let him know Nora had passed. Then, per Nora’s instructions upon her death, I
called her attorney.
“Who were you talking to?” Carter asked as he stood in the doorway of my room.
“I had to call Dr. Sutton and Nora’s attorney.”
“Why her attorney?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Nora gave me specific instructions to call him immediately after she—” I looked down. “Someone will be here soon to take her body, so if you need some more time…”
“I’m fine. Sadie is in there now. I have no fucking clue what I’m supposed to do. She told me that everything for her funeral was taken care of and I didn’t have to worry about a thing. So now what? How the fuck do I know what to do?”
“All I know is her attorney is on the next flight out of New York. He’ll be here tonight. I’m sure she made all the arrangements with him.”
“This doesn’t make any sense to me. Why wouldn’t she tell me and let me handle it?”
“I have no clue, Mr. Grayson. I wish I had some answers for you, but she never discussed her arrangements with me. So, we’ll have to wait until he gets here.”
He shook his head and walked away. My job here was over, at least with taking care of Nora. She wanted me to try and help Carter through it, but I didn’t know how I was going to. The minute we got back to New York, we’d part ways, and I’d probably never see him again. Not by any choice of mine, but his. I was sure he couldn’t wait to get rid of me. I went into Nora’s room, expecting to find Carter in there, but he wasn’t.
“Have you seen Mr. Grayson, Sadie?” I asked.
“No. I haven’t,” she spoke with sadness as her teary eyes looked at me.
I walked around the house to see where he had gone, and I couldn’t find him. I even went up to his room, but he wasn’t there. Walking into the kitchen, I decided to make a pot of coffee. While I waited for it to brew, I placed my hands on the kitchen counter and stared out the window. That was when I saw Carter standing on the beach, facing the water.
I was startled by a knock on the door, and when I opened it, two tall gentlemen stood there with their hands clasped in front of them.
