Oh well, it didn’t matter, the only thing that mattered now was getting to the hospital. I pushed that particular Jackson out of my mind. I only needed to think of the one person that loved me. I turned up the radio as a distraction, in hopes of keeping my mind where it needed to be. It worked well for a while until I passed a sign directing travelers to Auburn.
I would have gone to another school if Aunt Lu hadn’t had her heart set on me attending her Alma Mater, because when you attend a school that is the rival of the school where your ex-boyfriend is the star football player, you can’t help but know what’s going on with him. His name was everywhere, whether in the school paper, the news, or even just in everyday conversations I was privy to. What made it worse was that his girlfriend, Amber Capshaw, was just as popular.
I looked down; I was going way too fast. I shouldn’t be thinking about the Jacksons and the Capshaws while I drove, or ever, especially now under the circumstances. It was a dangerous combination, but that’s what being in Alabama did to me. As soon as I eased off the pedal, I passed the sign directing travelers to Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama. I didn’t need this. Why couldn’t I get Brady Jackson out of my head, and even more important, out of my heart? I was twenty-seven years old, for crying out loud. I was a successful author and I had toured the world and country. I had even dated some very handsome and successful men along the way, but no one, and I mean no one, made me feel like Brady had. It seemed so wrong that the only time I had fallen in love was when I was sixteen years old. What do sixteen-year-olds even know about love? I obviously didn’t know enough or at least I didn’t know better.
I felt like the highway was mocking me. How many stupid billboards did the University of Alabama need? Seriously! I needed to stay focused on my aunt, but my mind kept drifting back to the past. It kept going back to my senior year in college. That was the worst year. Brady’s name was everywhere. Alabama was having an incredible year. They were undefeated and Brady had broken all kinds of records, and unfortunately Auburn was having a very off season. Everyone thought Brady would, hands-down, be the next Heisman Trophy Winner, and he would be the number one draft pick for the NFL the following year.
His girlfriend, Miss Alabama, was making headlines too. I honestly took a little, or maybe a lot, of joy from the reason why. I always knew Amber wasn’t all that bright, but I figured since Brady’s momma had been grooming her for years, she would have been better prepared for the Miss America pageant that fall. She wasn’t even asked a difficult question; she was asked, “Why are you proud to be an American?” Her response, “I don’t know if I’m proud to be an American, because you know it’s kind of a sin to be proud. But I’m super happy that I’m American, because if not, I wouldn’t get to be in this pageant, which is like the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. And I just love the colors red, white, and blue.”
They practically crucified the girl in the news for days. Needless to say, she didn’t win Miss America; she wasn’t even a finalist. But Brady came to her rescue. He was constantly asked about it in interviews, and he would always politely and kindly say things like, “She was under pressure,” and, “Of course she loves America.” He would always ask for respect for her and to give her a break. His reaction didn’t surprise me because he was the nicest guy I had ever known, but it hurt me because he had chosen her over me. It wasn’t too long after that it was reported they were engaged. During each game, the cameras would pan over to where she and his family sat, and there was a ring on her left finger. She gushed to all the papers about how much she loved him and couldn’t wait for his career to start in the NFL, and how wonderful their lives were going to be together. It was really nauseating. I tried not to pay attention to it, but it was everywhere.
Then the Iron Bowl came. The Iron Bowl is an unofficial holiday in Alabama. The stores close early, the streets are empty, and everyone is home watching Alabama and Auburn battle it out. We all knew it was a long shot for Auburn to win that year. Brady had made Alabama’s offense almost invincible. Alabama was ahead the entire game. I didn’t want to watch, but my aunt expected me to watch all Auburn games; she didn’t care that Brady Jackson was playing, but I don’t think she ever realized how in love with him I had been and that it still hurt, or maybe she had and she thought the reminder would ensure I would keep the rules in the future. During the third quarter, Alabama was on the fifty yard line, and it was second down. Their quarterback threw a perfect spiral that landed in Brady’s hands almost flawlessly. He was at the forty yard line and turned to run, and then it happened. I couldn’t believe it. As he turned, he was hit from behind by a cornerback at the same time a linebacker slammed into his front. His leg was twisted all wrong, and when they came down on him, it broke. It broke for the whole world to see. Compound fracture, bone protruding from the skin, it was a horrific sight. And, of course, they kept replaying it over and over again. I remember gasping alone in my apartment. I cried as I saw Brady’s face and the horrible pain he was in.
In a matter of seconds, his NFL dreams were over. It was the kind of injury you don’t fully recover from, at least not well enough to play football. Alabama still won, but Brady lost. Brady also lost the Heisman and his fiancé. Amber was once again excoriated in the news for leaving her injured fiancé for the quarterback, Doug Abrams. He ended up being the first round draft pick for the NFL. I wanted to say that Brady deserved it, but I couldn’t. I wanted to feel delight that she left him, but I couldn’t muster that up either. I hated him, but only because I loved him.
As the sun began to peak over the horizon, I came back to my senses and the present. Thankfully, I was almost to my destination. I hated being alone with only my thoughts for company. Too often they drifted to the past, and too often they landed on Brady Jackson. You may be able to run away from home, but memories follow you everywhere.
I came to a hard stop in the hospital parking lot; I was out my door before I even turned off the ignition. I practically sprinted across the pavement. I just needed to see my Aunt Lu. As I entered the ICU, I didn’t even need to ask what room she was in. I could hear her raised voice yelling at some poor physician. His only crime was where he earned his degree.
I checked in at the nurse’s station and tried not to laugh; she had the whole floor in a tizzy over her behavior. I quickly made my way down to her room before they restrained her or sedated her. At least I knew she was well enough to throw a fit. I walked into her room, and there were two nurses and one poor, harried doctor. They were all trying their best to calm her down, but every time the doctor approached her, she started back in about the incompetence of the University of Alabama. She was being ridiculous, but I couldn’t help but smile.
“Aunt Lu.”
All heads turned toward me.
Aunt Lu looked pale, even for being all worked up. She was hooked up to all sorts of machines that were beeping frantically—I’m sure in response to her unseemly behavior. For an old dame, she was still feisty, but I hated seeing her like that. She was approaching seventy, but could still pass for someone in her early fifties. She was still the most beautiful woman in the world to me.
Aunt Lu looked at me. “Ella Lu, tell these people that I am not to be seen by anyone from that forsaken school.”
I sheepishly grinned at the doctor. “May I please speak to you in the hall?”
The poor man seemed relieved to have an excuse to leave. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to say to him. How did you explain a forty-five year grudge against a school just because your ex-fiancé, who was a graduate from that school, left you for another woman? And that woman just happened to be your best friend, and their son did the same thing to your daughter. Instead, I opted to lie through my teeth. I rationalized that my aunt was in no condition to be this riled up and she needed to be treated quickly.
When we entered the hall, I reached out my hand to shake his. “Hello, I’m Elle Eaton.”
I had also changed my name too. Elle sounded more sophisticated a
s an author. My aunt hated it and refused to call me Elle. I would always be Ella Lu to her.
He responded by shaking my hand. “Nice to meet you Ms. Eaton, I’m Dr. Sandstrom.”
“Dr. Sandstrom, please forgive my aunt’s behavior, you may have noticed she’s very partial to Auburn.”
He just shook his head and smiled.
That’s where the lying began. “Unfortunately, she had a very bad experience with a doctor that graduated from your illustrious …” I had to stop myself from gagging when I said that, “… Alma Mater. I have no doubt you are an excellent doctor, but by chance, is there another doctor on call that can see to her this morning?”
“Miss Eaton, I’m the only cardiologist on staff this morning.”
Well that was a problem. I wanted her to be seen to. “Dr. Sandstrom, did perhaps you attend another school for Pre-Med? Maybe Auburn?”
He looked at me oddly, but I think he finally got it. Yes, I was asking the doctor to lie too.
I smiled convincingly. “I know it’s is a lot to ask of an Alabama man, but could you please?”
He looked at me thoughtfully. “You look familiar to me, and your name sounds familiar.”
“Do you by chance have any little girls?”
“Yes, two.”
“Do you read to them?”
Dawning crossed his face. “You write the Aunt Calliope and Jane books. My daughters love those books.”
“Fabulous. How about in exchange for your help this morning, I’ll get you some signed copies of my new book.”
He readily agreed. I also suggested to him that it might not hurt to mention to my aunt how much he and his daughters loved my books. Thankfully we were able to appease her with our cooked up stories. He was able to examine her and get the tests she needed ordered, but she did make sure to tell him what a big mistake it was for him not to finish his MD at Auburn. He just shook his head in agreement. Just for that, I would be throwing in some Calliope and Jane dolls.
Once we were left alone, I sat at her side and held her hand.
“Don’t look at me like that, Ella Lu, this was just an episode.”
I grinned. “Yes, I’m sure, but humor me and behave yourself; and let the doctors run their tests.”
“Just as long as they aren’t from that forsaken school. No Alabama graduate will be touching me.”
I just nodded my head and went out and talked to all the nurses, basically bribing them all to lie and to put a note in her chart for all Alabama graduates to do the same. I had a feeling I would be buying lots of pastries and rounds of coffee on a daily basis for those taking caring of my aunt. They had no idea what they were in store for.
While Aunt Lu was out for testing, I sent an email to my office and agent and told them I would be out for a few days, at least, and that we may have to reschedule some bookstore signings we had set up. I hated to do that during the holiday season, but family comes first, and Aunt Lu was the only family I had. I tried to catch a few winks now that the adrenaline had worn off from my early morning call. I was beginning to feel the effects of a just a few hours of sleep. Unfortunately, hospitals are the worst places to sleep. I’d just started to nod off when they wheeled my aunt back in. I sat up and sleepily smiled at the cantankerous old bird.
“You look like hell, Ella Lu. Go to the house and get some rest,” she said lovingly.
“I love you too, Aunt Lu. I’m fine, and I’ll just get a hotel room nearby tonight.”
“That’s nonsense, child. You can just stay at the house.”
I was surprised she wanted me to go to her house. I hadn’t been there since I was eighteen-years-old, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea.
“We’ll see,” is all I committed to.
I sat next to her again. “So, tell me what happened.”
“Doris just overreacted is all. I had a little pain and some shortness of breath and the next thing I know I’m being whisked away in an ambulance against my wishes, and the fools wouldn’t even take me to Kaysville General.”
I knew I shouldn’t be laughing, but she was a riot. I’m sure those paramedics got an earful.
“Well, you have to be tired too. Why don’t you try and get some rest until we get your results back. Do you want me to get you anything?” I asked.
“Yes, I need you to send for my cosmetics and my satin pajamas. If they think I’m wearing this ridiculous article of clothing during my stay here, they have another thing coming.”
I smirked. “Anything else?”
She grabbed my hand. “Yes, I want you to call my lawyer.”
“Why?”
She squeezed my hand and looked at me with those eyes of hers. “Because it’s time.”
Chapter Two
I knew what she meant. She’d been trying for years to place me on her accounts and to sign over a large portion of her wealth to me, including the house. I never wanted her money. It never brought her any happiness, except that it meant she could give me anything I ever wanted and then some. I had my own money anyway. But more importantly, she wanted me to have power of attorney, just in case. I didn’t want to think about the just in case.
I called Doris and had her bring my Aunt Lu’s “necessities” to the hospital. And, begrudgingly, I called Mr. Howard, my aunt’s attorney. Apparently he made hospital room calls.
By late afternoon, we got some test results back. She did indeed have a heart attack, and she had two blocked arteries that would require angioplasty. She wasn’t happy about that. She wanted second and third opinions. I eventually got her to listen to reason, but she refused to have any procedures done until we had met with Mr. Howard and I was on her accounts and the power of attorney was in place. I couldn’t get her to budge on that, so I agreed. She was blackmailing me with her health.
I was exhausted by the time evening rolled around. I couldn’t keep from yawning.
“Ella Lu, go to the house and get some sleep.”
“I’m just going to get a hotel room.”
“Ella Lu, it’s time to face your past, sugar.”
“You told me to leave and never come back.” That came out more childish than I intended.
She touched my face with her hand that was hooked to an I.V. “Ella Lu, don’t you ever tell anyone I said this, but I was wrong. I thought you would be able to move on and be happy.”
“I’m happy, Aunt Lu.”
“For the most part you are, but I don’t think you’ll ever be truly happy until you move on from that Jackson boy.”
“I’ve moved on, Aunt Lu!”
“No sugar, you moved away.”
I didn’t want to talk about this, and I wanted to say, “Just like you moved on from his daddy?” but I wouldn’t sass my aunt like that, especially in her condition. It was my own dang fault anyway. If I would have just followed the rules, I wouldn’t have anybody I needed to get over.
“Fine, I’ll go to the house. Do you want me to bring anything back with me in the morning?”
“No, just make sure you dress up for our meeting with my lawyer here in the afternoon.”
“Yes, Aunt Lu.”
Aunt Lu had all sorts of fashion rules, and if you were transacting business, you better be dressed up. Thankfully, I knew her all too well, and I had packed a business suit and heels. Heels were a must in her book.
I drove the thirty minutes it takes to get to Kaysville. The whole time I felt all sorts of uncomfortable. It had been nine and half years since I had been home. It was dark, but it looked like not much had changed as I drove through Main Street. It was decorated for Christmas. If there had been snow, it would have looked like a scene from a snow globe, but thankfully we rarely got snow there. I saw a couple of people I recognized leaving the hardware store. I was just hoping I didn’t see any Jacksons. I had no idea where Brady lived now that he was out of the limelight. I just hoped it wasn’t in Kaysville. He probably married another beauty queen and had two kids by now. Aunt Lu and I made it a point never to ta
lk about Kaysville or its inhabitants. It was easier that way, or at least I thought so. Now that I was driving through town, the thought occurred to me that I should have probably asked her about Brady’s whereabouts, just in case.
Our home was in the middle of town. It was a large, stately antebellum style home with white pillars to match. It was an ostentatious home, but it matched my Aunt Lu perfectly. It was beautiful and larger than life, just like her. As I pulled through the gate, I had to hold back the tears. It was silly to cry over coming home, but it had been a very long time, and along with the bitter memories, there had been some very sweet ones. I drove around the circular drive and parked right in front of the house. My aunt hated that, but she wasn’t home. I didn’t even get to the front door before Doris came running out, practically in tears that I had come home. She was all a dither as she hugged me and helped me with my suitcase.
My aunt had let her know I was coming, so she had prepared a light dinner for the two of us, and she readied my old room. Walking into that old room was like stepping into the past. My aunt hadn’t touched a thing in my absence. The four poster bed still had my pink ruffled comforter, and my trophies and ribbons from various events like piano recitals and debate teams were still displayed on the shelves above my old desk. My high school diploma and valedictorian award and sash were still proudly placed on my desk too. The room was a time capsule.
“I placed fresh linens on your bed, Miss Ella.”
“Thank you, Doris.”
She hugged me again. “I’m just so happy you’re home.”
I wished I could say I was too, but I squeezed her back. “Goodnight, Doris.”
As soon as she left, I headed straight for my old bathroom. It had been the perfect bathroom for a teenage girl. It had a large, well-lit vanity and seat, a claw foot tub, and a separate shower. I started the shower and climbed in and tried to unwind from my long day, and I tried to keep the memories at bay, but this old place was making it difficult. Everything reminded me of Brady, even the vanity. How many times had I sat there getting ready for a date with him? And many times there had been fresh flowers there from him. He hadn’t been allowed to come here, but he’d had flowers delivered regularly with the sweetest notes.
House Divided Page 3
