On the drive back to Alyssa’s house, they stopped by the grocery store and bought all of the comfort food they could find. They needed to grieve, and they would do it together, the same way they’d done so many other things together. As a family.
After the groceries were put away, they all changed into comfortable clothes. No more black dresses for them. No, they were going to stay together and handle things the best way they knew how. It was the only answer.
Ten
On Thursday, Mr. Kunz, their father’s long-time friend and attorney, was at Alyssa’s house to read the will. He counted heads to make sure all the sisters were there before beginning.
“I’m not going to read it word for word, because there’s no need for that. The will is simply a practical list of who gets what. I’m sure all of you will appreciate that.” He glanced down at the document in his hand. “Lauren, you get your mother’s Subaru Forester. They wanted you to have something safe to drive and not ‘that old rattletrap.’”
Lauren smiled slightly. “I can just hear Dad saying that, too. He kept trying to buy me a car, but I didn’t want to take charity.”
“Well, you have no choice now.” Mr. Kunz looked back at the will. “Alyssa, your parents would like you to deal with the sale of their home, and whatever money comes from it needs to be split five ways for all of you to share.”
Alyssa nodded. “I expected that.” It would keep her busy as well. It was good that it had been her assignment, and the sisters would work together to get everything cleaned out and sold.
He went on to list many of the things their parents had accumulated over the years. Alyssa was to get their mother’s china collection, and Taylor was to receive their bedroom suite, which she had always admired.
Each daughter received something that she considered special, but they all waited with bated breath to hear what was said about the lake house.
“Now, for the house at Bear Lake.” He smiled as he watched each sister lean forward. “Your father was very specific about that house. He wants all of you to own it together, or he wants it sold and the money split evenly among you. I got the impression he wanted you to share it.”
The sisters all exchanged glances. It was what they wanted.0
The last thing Mr. Kunz said surprised all of them. “I’m going to read this last line to you, and then I’ll be done. ‘To my daughter Alyssa’s best friend, Hannah Baldwin, I leave the sum of two hundred thousand dollars. My daughters won’t miss it, and that girl has worked harder than anyone should have to earning money for her bookstore. Hannah, you’ve always been a sixth daughter to me, and know that we loved you with all our hearts. Use the money wisely.’ The rest of the assets your parents had will be liquidated and split evenly among you. Are there any questions?”
The sisters exchanged looks. “Who will see to the selling off of the assets?” Alyssa asked. She knew she was selling the house in town, but she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to be in charge of that as well.
“I was asked to do that, and I’ll retain a small fee for my services. Your father and I worked all that out years ago.”
Alyssa got to her feet and shook hands with Mr. Kunz. “Thank you so much for your time.”
“Your father was a wonderful man, and he will be missed by so many.”
Alyssa walked him to the door after accepting a copy of the will. She was actually excited to call Hannah and let her know about the money which had been left to her. She knew her friend would be ecstatic. Well, she’d be ecstatic with a portion of the news she had to share.
Walking back to the couch, she sat down between Taylor and Kayla. “Does anyone mind if I call Hannah and let her know what was decided? And then we’ll discuss the lake house.”
Taylor had a half smile on her face. “I have some ideas for the lake house. I just hope everyone will hear me out before they start arguing.”
“That sounds ominous,” Amanda said. “You worry me, Taylor.”
Alyssa smiled as she left the room and walked down the hallway and into her bedroom. The room was decorated in lilac and white. It was definitely a female room. Her bed was king size, and she had a row of shelves above her head. She and Amanda had shopped for the furniture together, and Amanda had taken it from there. Sitting on her bed, Alyssa dialed her friend’s number. Hannah came on the phone right away.
“You caught me between jobs. What’s up, buttercup?” The happiness in Hannah’s voice to hear from her struck Alyssa as odd until she remembered that her friend hadn’t heard the news yet.
“So . . . I have bad news and good news. If you have ten minutes to pull over, it might be best.” Alyssa didn’t want to risk another accident by telling her friend while she was driving. Hannah had always been close to Alyssa’s parents.
“I have time. Just give me a second. I’ll pull into a gas station.” There was a moment, and then Hannah said, “But you’re scaring me making me pull over. I’ve done it.”
“Mom and Dad were killed in a car wreck on Saturday night.” Alyssa couldn’t soften the truth. She’d given the news one too many times that week, and she just didn’t have it in her to beat around the bush about it.
“What? No!” Hannah sounded truly distraught. “How can there be good news after that?”
“Well, the will was read today, and my parents left you two hundred grand to go toward your bookstore. They think it’s time you started building it and stopped working so many jobs.”
Hannah said nothing for a moment, and Alyssa waited.
“Hannah?”
“I don’t even know what to say. I’m shocked and broken about your parents, but that kind of money? You and your sisters should split that between you. I wasn’t their child to leave anything to.”
Alyssa had expected that answer, but she wasn’t accepting it. “No. Dad was very specific that he wanted you to have it and what he wanted you to use it for. Besides, he said you were his sixth daughter and he’d always thought of you that way. They left us plenty. I promise.”
“I’m sure. Wow. I don’t even know what to say. I’m so sorry they died, Lyss. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling.”
Hannah’s soft voice commiserating with her had the tears flowing for Alyssa again. “I’ve had several days to process it, and my sisters and I have been together almost constantly, working through our feelings about it.” Alyssa didn’t say she was fine, because she was far from fine, but she was doing better than she had been a few days before.
“I wish I could hug you, but that’s not happening from this distance. You girls need to come to the lake soon and see me.”
“You know? I think that’s going to happen. We’ve talked about happy memories from the lake house all week. I think we need to go there and grieve together. Or maybe party together. We seem to be alternating between the two.”
Hannah laughed softly. “I’m not surprised. You and your sisters have always been a bit odd.”
“Oh, please. Have you looked in a mirror lately?” Alyssa felt a lot better now that she’d told Hannah. When she’d called Tim, she just needed to share with someone who wouldn’t grieve as much as she had. He’d refused to allow that, though.
“Well, I’m going to let you go and head to Coopers. I have a full night ahead of me.”
“Not for much longer,” Alyssa said, relieved that her father had included her friend in his generosity. She knew Hannah would make good use of the money.
Alyssa walked back into the living room, joining her sisters, who were discussing food.
“I just want to order another pizza,” Lauren said. “None of us feel like cooking. Or we could do something from grub hub. Or order something else. I just don’t want to cook.”
Alyssa took a spot on the floor. “I’m up for whatever. Pizza sounds pretty good, actually.” Her years of pizza deprivation were catching up with her, and she refused to suffer through any more of it. Pizza was the answer.
They talked and discussed what they wanted,
and Taylor put in an order for two large pizzas. As soon as she was finished, she folded her hands on her lap, seeming nervous. “I have an idea about the lake house.”
“What’s the idea?” Alyssa felt a bit skeptical. Her sister looked like she was up to something.
It didn’t take long before every sister was looking at Taylor, waiting to hear her idea.
“Let’s turn it into a bed and breakfast. We can all move to the lake. There’s enough room for all five of us and still have seven guestrooms to rent out. More if we’re willing to double up. I can run the place. We can do a total remodel and hire someone to work with Kayla on it. I think we all need a fresh start, and this week has showed me that we need each other. A lot.”
Alyssa frowned. “I’m not licensed in Idaho.” She couldn’t give up her job to help run a B&B. Besides, it shouldn’t take all five of them to run it.
“How hard would it be to get licensed there? You know your stuff. Shouldn’t you just have to take a test or something?”
“Probably. But what about Tim?” Alyssa knew her sisters didn’t like him, but all she could think about were the seven years they had together. Why would she give up seven years now?
“Dump the jerk. I want to use worse language, but I’m a lady,” Lauren said, folding her hands demurely on her lap.
They all laughed at that.
“I don’t know if I’m ready,” Alyssa said honestly.
Amanda frowned at Alyssa. “How long has it been since the two of you went out together when he didn’t need money? How long since he paid for a meal?”
“I—” Alyssa had no answers. She truly couldn’t remember.
“How long since you went out with him and he didn’t make you feel like you were lacking?” Kayla asked. “You’re a beautiful woman who has gotten much too thin thanks to his machinations. You need to be taking care of yourself, not worrying about him.”
Listening to her sisters, Alyssa realized that they were right. He had messed with her head for altogether too long. “All right. I’m in.”
“You are?” Taylor asked, looking shocked. “I thought you would be the hardest to convince.”
They went around the room, and each sister agreed to do it.
“I like the idea of working together,” Amanda said. “I want to turn the rooms into themed rooms. Famous romantic couples or something. I’ll think on it. I seriously can’t wait to get started. I have two more jobs I’ve agreed to do here, and I’ll be ready to go. Well, and Alyssa will have to sell my house.”
Alyssa laughed. “I have a feeling I’ll be selling lots of houses. Starting with my own.”
Slowly their plans started to take shape. When the doorbell rang, Alyssa jumped up to get the pizza. She opened the door and was surprised to see Tim. “What are you doing here?” she asked. She could almost feel her sisters straining to listen to the conversation. He only stopped by when he wanted something. Hopefully he hadn’t put it together that her parents were dead and she was due to inherit.
Tim frowned. “Can’t a boyfriend go to see his girlfriend?”
She shook her head. “No, because you’re not my boyfriend anymore. You wouldn’t even talk to me when I found out my parents had just died. What kind of boyfriend would do that? I’m afraid I’m completely done with you.” Telling him was easier than she’d thought it would be, and it felt so freeing.
“You can’t mean that! We’ve dated for years.”
“Yes, we have, and you have ruined my life in a lot of different ways. Not only am I breaking things off with you, I’m moving to Idaho, and I don’t plan to see you again.” She started to close the door, but he put his foot in the way.
“Wait . . . I know you’re done with me, and I guess I can understand that, but can’t we at least stay friends?”
“No, I don’t think we can. Friends accept each other for who they are. They don’t expect them to make changes to be seen with them.” Alyssa knew she wouldn’t have had the courage to say everything if her sisters hadn’t been sitting right there, listening to her. But they gave her the strength she needed.
“Well, if we can’t be friends, can I at least get one last loan? I need a thousand dollars. My car is about to be repossessed.”
Alyssa was just about to say no when she felt someone walk up behind her and close the door. Tim’s foot was still in the door, and he yelled ‘ouch!’ as he got out of the way. She turned to see Taylor standing behind her. Until that moment, Alyssa hadn’t realized she was shaking.
Taylor hugged her. “It’s over. Tim’s gone, and you don’t ever have to see him again.”
Taking a deep breath, Alyssa nodded, feeling very fragile for a moment. “Thank you.”
“Go sit, and I’ll get the pizza when it comes.” Taylor pushed her toward the living room. “Lauren, get some plates and napkins. Amanda, you’re on drinks. We’re having an ‘Alyssa finally dumped Tim’ party, and we’re going to plan our bed and breakfast. If we hurry, we might be able to have it open by June first for tourist season. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I think we can do it.”
Alyssa moved to sit in one of her chairs, and she thought about it. She could see how they could make it work. It wouldn’t be easy, but with five of them working together, anything was possible.
At least for a while, they’d all be sharing a house. That worried her, remembering some of their early fights, but most of them had means to stay elsewhere if necessary. They’d make it work.
Eleven
The next few weeks were filled with activity for Alyssa. She and her sisters went through their parents’ house and organized everything. They donated many items of clothing and divided treasures up between them.
Some of the furniture they decided they wanted to keep for the lake house, and others they sold in an estate sale. It felt to Alyssa that every minute she wasn’t working, she was doing something to get ready for the move, including selling her parents’ house, her own, Taylor’s, and Amanda’s.
Kayla was a house flipper, so she lived in whatever property she was fixing up at any given time. She wouldn’t be quite done when the other sisters were, so she would stay behind and finish the house before she put it up for sale.
They had a target move date of April fifteenth, which gave them just a month after the funeral to get everything ready.
Alyssa stopped working out with Barbie, no longer needing the validation that came from working out with her. She was happy to never have to see the woman again. She was sure she would keep up some form of exercise, but torturing herself no longer needed to be on the agenda.
On the day before the sale closed on her parents’ house in Kaysville, the five of them went there and made sure it was cleaned and ready to go. They could have hired someone to do it—and even discussed that option—but they decided they wanted to do it together.
They’d grown up in that house, and selling it was hard for all of them. Splitting the house up into sections, each sister took a section, and they worked side-by-side, doing the type of cleaning their mother had taught them to do as children.
When they finished, Lauren hurried out to her car and brought in plates and napkins. “We’re having one more pizza party in the middle of the living room floor. I have a picnic blanket in my old room.”
Kayla went to get the blanket, and they spread it out while they waited for the pizza to arrive.
“I can’t believe how good you look,” she said to Alyssa as they all sat down for their feast.
Alyssa smiled. She’d put on five pounds, and when she looked in a mirror, she could see that her cheeks were rounder and her face looked softer. “I still work out, but I’m not working myself into a frenzy. And I’m eating like a normal person again. No more twigs.”
They all laughed at that. “You really do look so much better than you did. I think Tim would have made you starve yourself, and he still would have thought you were too heavy to be seen with him.” Amanda shook her head. “But look at you now! As beaut
iful as ever.”
Alyssa blushed and changed the subject. “So, this house closes tomorrow. Amanda’s house closes Tuesday, and Taylor’s on Wednesday.” There had been so much packing done in the past month across different homes that they all felt a little achy all the time. There wouldn’t be as much room as they would need at the lake house, so the sisters rented out a large storage unit, and all of their things were there, with boxes clearly labeled so they wouldn’t forget whose box was whose.
“And when does yours close again?” Taylor asked Alyssa. “I know you have to love us to let all of us move in with you this week.”
“I love you a lot until the novelty of feeling like sisters again wears off. I’m sure we’ll be at each other’s throats in a month like we were when we were little girls.” Alyssa hoped she was wrong as she picked up a slice of pizza.
The house looked so different than they were used to. It was now completely devoid of furniture, and the curtains were even taken down. It was strange to think it would be their last time in that house. Alyssa had her first kiss on the front porch, with her little sisters peeking out the window at her.
“I’d say I don’t see that happening,” Taylor said, “but I sure remember how bossy you can get.” They’d all agreed that Taylor would need to be in charge of the bed and breakfast. She had the training, after all.
“I’m the oldest. I’m supposed to be bossy,” Alyssa said, grinning at her. “I was just thinking that my first kiss was on that doorstep. All of us took our first steps in this house. Why don’t we have the emotional attachment to this place that we have to the lake house?”
“I think it’s because this was the place we did our homework. Where we had to go to school every day. Where we did our chores. The lake house was the fun place, where we all wanted to be all the time,” Amanda said. She’d obviously already given the subject some thought.
“Maybe,” Taylor said, shrugging. “I’m not sure why it is, but the lake house has a lot more meaning for me as well.”
Changing Dreams (Bear Lake Dreamers Book 1) Page 6
