Belle snorted.
“Says we should put Grandpa Ernie in a home.”
Belle sighed. “I don’t know what set him off, but it scared me.” She slunk across the room and flopped into a chair. “Maybe it is time. I mean, what will you do when I move out?”
“It’s just so many changes at once…”
“Mom didn’t steal from him, just so you know. His social security checks switched to automatic deposit, so he thought she was stealing his checks.”
“Ah.”
“I know where her bank book is.”
“What?”
“He was so angry, and I’ve heard them fight about this before. No matter what she said he couldn’t get it straight in his head. Anyway, maybe we need to look over family finances tonight while Gramps is gone.”
“Good idea.”
Belle led her upstairs to the room Taylor was staying in and took a brown leather-like three ring binder from the top shelf of the closet that still held so many of their mom’s things. They sat on the bed with the bank book and the computer open to the online banking account.
There were a lot of numbers in a lot of places, but Taylor was good with numbers and it didn’t take long for her to wrap her mind around their family situation.
“Her retirement account wasn’t what I would have wanted to see. She kept way too much cash around.”
“I agree. I stash almost everything I make from the video business in a Roth IRA.”
“You’re smart.” Taylor shut the three-ring binder that held the monthly family budget. “It doesn’t really look like Grandpa gets enough each month to pay for a place in a nice senior home.”
“Yeah, but it also looks like college won’t take up very much of the video money.”
“I was worried about that, but we do have far more than enough for college and to take care of Grandpa. Plus, there’s something I need to tell you.” Taylor swallowed nervously. “There’s a trust fund for you. It will pay for college and still have plenty left over when you come of age.”
Belle cringed and stared at her sister in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”
“The trust fund Mom had, I mean, it’s um, a life insurance policy, but there are directions…”
Belle closed her eyes and tilted her head up, inhaling through her nose loudly like she’d had it up to here with her sister. A look her mom had given her plenty of times when she was a teen.
“Um…I don’t have all the details yet.”
“Oh, really? You don’t have all the details to your bold-faced lie yet?” Belle stood, taking her time as she unfolded her crossed legs and stepped off the bed. “I thought we could trust each other.”
“Wait, I’m confused…”
“You’re lying to me. Mom didn’t leave me a trust fund or a life insurance policy or anything like that. She’s not crazy.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why would she set up some elaborate trust and stuff for me when she had no reason to think she was dying? Why would she leave me a life insurance policy when I was a minor and, who knew who, would get control of it? Not Mom. Mom had cash and lots of it. She had no reason to think she would die, and anyway, she knew she could trust you to take care of me.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” Taylor whispered.
“No. You’re just lying to me, trying to pretend things were different than they are. You’re the only legal daughter. I’m just….” She shook her head.
“Belle, wait. It’s five-hundred-thousand dollars. It’s more than all the other cash she had put together.”
Belle stood, tall and brave. “And it’s what you thought would buy me off while you got everything else? The house? The business? Everything?”
“You can have whatever you want. I don’t need the house. I have the money from my condo sale. I don’t need the business because I have an education and lots of work experience. You’re just starting out your life. Whatever you want or need, Belle, it’s yours.”
Belle was shaking as she stared at her sister. “I want to get out of this town and go to college and never look back.” She ran down the stairs.
Taylor was on her heels. “Fine. Do that. But first let’s have dinner.” With Belle’s elbow firm in her grip she led her to the car and drove till she wasn’t angry anymore, and they were in the middle of Belle’s future home, that college town Corvallis, Oregon. They had driven in silence, and even now, Belle’s head was leaned against the window.
Taylor thought maybe Belle would have tearstained cheeks when they got out at the first restaurant she could find, but she didn’t.
Once they had ordered food and were waiting for it, Taylor leaned forward.
“This is how it’s going to be. You are going to school. Period. You only have a couple of months left. Then you’re living in town and working in the shop till you start college.
Belle just stared in silence.
“I inherited everything. All of it went to me. I wrote a five-hundred-thousand-dollar insurance policy over to you. It’s in a trust. You can send education related invoices to me to be paid. The money won’t be yours till you’re my age. Got it?”
Belle drew her eyebrows together.
“Yeah, that’s what I said. Turns out in our family twenty-nine is the age of majority. That magical time in life when massive amounts of responsibility are thrust on us whether we want them or not.”
Belle pursed her lips, but still didn’t respond.
“I’m going to sell the house to pay for Grandpa’s care. I’ll live in the apartment above the shop and run it till you’re…. eighteen. And then I’ll decide if I’m selling the business or not. You’ll be done with your bachelors by then, right?”
She shook her head. “Not quite.”
“Fine, Then I’ll wait till you graduate. When you’re done, you can decide if you want to buy the business or not.”
“With what money?”
“With what money? How about the interest half a million dollars can earn in two years?”
“I thought I could only use it for education.” Belle’s voice was flat, as though half a million dollars was hardly worth effort.
Taylor groaned. “Don’t be pedantic. Once you have a bachelors then, I guess you’re educated. If you want the business, buy it. I’ll stick around till then. After that, I’ll do whatever I want.”
“Fine. Whatever.”
Their food arrived and they dropped the subject of their futures. From where Taylor sat, that trust fund idea was going to be the only reason she’d ever hear from Belle again.
She almost wished she hadn’t done it. She really wished she hadn’t brought it up.
* * *
Grandpa Quinny kept Grandpa Ernie overnight, but called her the next morning. “Can we meet for breakfast kiddo? Do you have time before you open the shop?”
“Yes, I do.”
They met at Rueben’s and each ordered the Bible Creek Special, a plate with all the breakfast favorites, plus crawdads.
“Taylor, I don’t know how to tell you this exactly.” Grandpa Quinny, retired investment banker and hobby farmer, was an elegant man by any standards. Even the face he made when sad for you looked like a picture.
“Grandpa Ernie’s not well, is he?”
“No, sweetie. He’s not. I know you’re going to want to do your best for him, but he’s going to need to live in a memory care facility before too long.”
“He’s just not that old.”
“I know. I hate seeing it. He’s always been one of my favorite men.”
“Does the Bible Creek Care Home have memory care?”
“Fortunately, yes. He won’t have to move far. Your grandmother and I would like to offer to help pay for it.”
Taylor nodded but knew she wouldn’t take money from them. She didn’t need to. “I’ll talk to the facility and see what the situation is. We might be able to swing it. Mom was a pretty good saver.” Not with her retirement, but e
verything else was ship-shape. And Taylor’s own retirement was right where all the experts suggested it be for a thirty-five year old. Which meant, she was six years ahead of schedule.
Grandpa Quinny let her eat without pushing for details, and they parted ways, her to do some filming with Roxy and him to pull weeds in his acres and acres of strawberries, a task he credited his youthful figure to.
It had already been a long morning. After last night, Taylor hardly wanted to make an effort to bring Belle and Colleen together, but she decided she needed to try anyway. She called Collen but got voicemail and left a message. Colleen seemed thirsty for Belle’s attention, so Taylor trusted she’d hear back from her soon enough. The nervous energy from Grandpa’s bad news and the unanswered phone call wasn’t best for filming, but Taylor forged ahead anyway.
Her mouth seemed to stumble over every word.
Roxy was patient, but she looked as nervous as Taylor felt. “Take a deep breath, Taylor. And let's try that again.” Her smile spread from ear-to-ear.
Taylor took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She shook her shoulders, rolled her head from side to side, and held up the flip-book color wheel they had worked on in the last video. “My projects always have gaps. Even when I buy a kit.” She flipped the pages of her color wheel mindlessly. “I always want my work to feel like it belongs…to feel like home. It only feels right when it’s got fabric in it that I have like, um, a relationship with.” Taylor paused. That wasn’t smooth, but at least her smile felt natural now. “The fabrics that make you remember stories when you see them.” She flipped to a pink and gray polka dot on the color wheel. “I bought that to make a doll blanket for my sister and later I used some in a pillowcase for my grandma.” She paused a little too long. “It just makes everything feel like family.” She was starting to repeat herself. “So, um, I like to make these now and again out of my stash. Then I can just slip it into my bag and take it shopping with me.”
Taylor had created a miniature version of their store behind her using fat quarters as pretend bolts stacked in a miniature version of their shelves that she had hobbled together from Rubbermaid shoe totes. It took her three tries to get through the section of the video where she shopped in her miniature store with her color wheel.
First her back was turned to the audience too often.
Then she blocked the fabric by standing in front of the miniature store.
Then she got her words backwards or she didn't smile.
But after two hours of filming they had enough footage for at least one 10-minute video. Or fifteen, if they were feeling brave. She’d heard fifteen minutes made more money.
“I like that about filling in the gaps.” Roxy piled handfuls of fat quarters into powder blue wicker baskets. “It reminded me of Laura. There was something special to it that meant more than just sewing, don't you think?”
Taylor shrugged. “Maybe. Mom was so natural at that and her little wisdom moments were so much wiser.”
“She had lived longer and had done more than you, so it only makes sense that she had more wisdom to share. You'll get better at this. You'll get faster, and, unfortunately, the byproduct of life is that you’ll get wiser.”
“Unfortunately?”
“Sure,” Roxy said. “Do you really want to live through the kinds of things that make you wise?”
Roxy had a point. Taylor barely wanted to live through what she was living through right now, much less anything harder
“Sorry. You just lost your mom. There's hardly anything in the world harder than that.”
Taylor shook her head. “It's okay, Roxy. I know what you meant.”
She’d never asked Roxy what happened to Jonah’s dad. She remembered he was a short guy, but really good looking. She hadn’t seen him in at least ten years. She didn't think he’d died, but something had occurred that made him disappear from her life leaving her with a son to raise on her own.
It was funny how the little stories of life in Comfort, Oregon were coming back to her. Each day another place in town reminded her of something or someone. Sometimes her own family who were gone, sometimes people like Roxy's husband. She tried to remember his name but couldn't. She could remember the dimple in his chin, though, and the way he had big, round blue eyes like a cartoon. Cute, more than handsome. But to her teenage eyes, that had been sort of the same thing.
“Jonah will have this edited and ready for your approval by tomorrow.”
“That's fantastic. I’m starting to feel like we can make this work.” Taylor had reviewed the viewer stats. They weren't very impressive. Going over the ad revenue accounts was something that she hadn't been able to get Belle to do with her yet. But since she had a video almost ready to go, surely she would be up for it this evening. And hopefully by then she would have heard back from Colleen.
Chapter Fourteen
Taylor was fixing dinner when Colleen returned her call.
“It's so good to hear from you.” Her voice was breathless with excitement. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, we need to talk. Can we please? Just you and me? I’ve been thinking quite a bit, and you were right. You and I should have been communicating before we brought Belle into the conversation.”
Colleen’s request shocked Taylor. It was such a turn-around from before. “I'm happy to speak with you,” Taylor said. “But I'm concerned how Belle will take it if we get together without her.”
“I can imagine. Let's keep it a secret, just between you and me. Will that work for you?”
“Probably so. Maybe we can meet somewhere halfway for lunch.”
“Anything you want. How’s Salem?” Colleen suggested a restaurant.
“That’s fine. Tomorrow?” Taylor chewed on her lip. Was she rushing this?
Colleen took a moment to respond. “That's fine, I just had to check the schedule. We can meet for lunch in Salem and we'll keep it a secret from Belle.”
* * *
The restaurant was a bit old-fashioned. A quiet family dining place that had private booths with tall backs. Taylor could see why Colleen had wanted to meet here. She joined her sister’s biological mother at the table, sliding across the gold vinyl seat.
“Thank you so much for meeting me,” Colleen began.
Taylor was glad she broke the ice. Sitting across from her alone again made her nervous, more nervous than she had expected to be.
“Dave told me he called and invited you both to our family trip to the beach.”
“Oh yes, I'm sorry I haven't responded.” Taylor fiddled with the cuffs of her corduroy jacket. They were too tight, all of a sudden. She longed to unbutton them and roll them up, but the buttons were stuck, just a bit too large for the holes.
“I understand. I wasn’t sure how to feel when he told me. I wasn’t angry, but it seemed precipitous you know?” Colleen had a glass of water already. She pulled it closer to herself, but didn’t lift it.
Taylor chuckled softly. “Yes, I agree. It did seem a little precipitous but, it was kind.”
Colleen’s shoulders dropped slightly and her worried look turned into a small smile. “Dave is very kind.” This time she took a drink of her water, then straightened up again, but not nervously. “Before I spend more time with Belle, there’s just one thing I hope you understand.”
Taylor fought with the brass button of her cuff again. It just wouldn’t budge, try as she might.
“No matter what happens, you are Belle’s sister. And I know it doesn't seem like this from your perspective...I don't know how to say this….” Her cheeks reddened as she struggled for the words. “I know I'm not her mama... not like I am to my boys. She had a mama. But at the same time, she's still…”
“She's still your daughter,” Taylor supplied.
Colleen exhaled sharply while nodding. “She has always been in my heart and always had my love. For me, this is a reunion. But for her, I appeared out of the blue at the end of her childhood. For her, this relationship is very different than it is for me.”
She took another sip of water, then continued. “Belle had a mother. But she’s also always been my baby.” Colleen’s eyes were stopped on Taylor’s hands as she wrestled with her coat.
Finally, Taylor just took it off, giving up.
Colleen looked up at her face again. “One day Belle lost her mother... and found me.”
Taylor frowned.
“I've read books. I've watched videos. Dave and I even took a class about reunifications. I have a good idea of what’s realistic, but can I be honest?” Her voice quavered nervously. “My heart dreams of a day when Belle runs into my arms and calls me Mama and loves me the way my boys do.” She looked up at Taylor with big, wide blue eyes.
Taylor’s jaw flexed till it hurt. For a moment, she saw Belle’s face in Colleen’s.
Colleen’s gaze dropped to her water glass. “But I know it won’t happen. That spot in her heart, the mother-spot, is filled.”
Though Colleen paused, Taylor had nothing to say. The words felt like an attack.
Colleen rallied. “All I can hope for, realistically, is that someday she loves me like…like an aunt. Like an older woman who loves her and is there for her, no matter what.” Colleen’s hands lay still on the table in front of her.
Taylor didn't like the idea that Colleen wanted to replace her mom, but she understood. Colleen had given birth to Belle and watched her grow and loved her. What else would she have ever wanted besides the return of that affection?
Taylor’s heart drummed in her chest like it wanted to escape. She didn't know if Colleen was asking permission or just talking. She couldn't give permission to chase after Belle. It wasn't hers to give.
They sat in silence for a moment and when she finally moved her hand, it was to tuck her hair behind her ear. She used just the tip of her pinky finger.
“Did they use to offer cooking classes or home economics at Comfort High?” The question wasn’t the most important Taylor would ever ask, and yet, it felt immense.
Assault and Batting Page 16
