Becoming Us

by Allie Everhart

  “This week, hopefully. Why?”

  He puts his arm around me. “I think I might buy it.”

  “What?” Grace and I both say it at the same time.

  “It sounds perfect. Central coast. Four acres. Private beach. On a cliff. What do you think, Jade?”

  “Um, yeah, we should check it out.”

  I wasn’t ready to buy anything yet. We said we’d start looking for land, not buy some this weekend.

  “Are you planning on building on it?” Grace asks him.

  “Yes. Jade and I want to stay here after we graduate and we’re looking for a piece of land we can build a house on later. What you described is exactly what we’re looking for.”

  Her face brightens. “It would be wonderful if we could keep it in the family. I offered it to William but he prefers living on the East Coast. I would love for the two of you to have the land.”

  “How much do you want for it? And don’t think you have to give us a deal because we’re family.”

  “Garret, don’t be silly. I’ll give you the land.”

  “We’re paying for it, Grace. Just tell us how much.”

  She waves her hand in the air, dismissing the idea. “Nonsense. You need the money from Jade’s trust fund to build the house and pay for your future expenses.”

  “I’m paying for it,” Garret announces. “We won’t touch the trust fund.”

  I don’t know how much Grace wants for the land but I know that four acres on the coast would cost at least a million dollars, if not more. Buying it would use up most of what Garret has in his account.

  Grace puts her hand on Garret’s arm and gives him her stern grandma look. “You’re not paying me a penny. I would be absolutely thrilled if you and Jade took this land and lived on it someday. And if Arlin were here, he would be, too. He never wanted to sell that land and truthfully, I’ve put off selling it because I don’t want to say goodbye to it. It’s such a beautiful spot. I used to imagine the flowers I would plant there. I even plotted it out. I’m sure I have my flower map around here somewhere.”

  Garret holds my hand under the table and smiles at me. “What do you think? I know we haven’t seen it, but something about it feels right.”

  I nod, smiling. “Yeah, it does.”

  He turns back to Grace. “Sold.”

  She claps her hands. “Oh! I’m so happy!”

  I go around Garret and give Grace a hug. “Thank you, Grace. Really. This is a huge gift.”

  “I’m happy to give it to you. This feels like it was meant to be. The timing of you coming here right before I put it up for sale. The fact that the topic even came up is unusual. I hadn’t even considered that you two might want it. I didn’t know you’d be staying in California.”

  “We both like it here.” Garret takes our plates to the sink. “So we decided to stay here after graduation.”

  “Have you told Frank that?” Grace asks me.

  “No, but he knows I never planned to move back to Iowa.”

  “What about your family, Garret? You’ll be so far from Connecticut.”

  “I can still fly out to see them. Or my dad and Lilly can come here.”

  Grace’s smile keeps getting bigger. “I’m going to call the real estate agent and tell him I’m not selling the land. Then I’ll call my lawyer and have him start the paperwork that will transfer it to your name.”

  She races off to the room down the hall that she uses as an office.

  Garret pulls me into his side and kisses me. “So I guess we have some land.”

  “I guess we do.” I smile as I think about it. “Did you see how happy Grace was? I haven’t seen her that happy since our wedding.”

  “What about you? Are you happy?”

  “Yes, but I think we’re completely crazy for doing this. We haven’t even seen the land yet. And now we have to live there. We can’t disappoint her.”

  “Jade, we’re living there. I trust Grace and Arlin. All of their homes are in beautiful locations, so if they loved this land as much as she described, I know we will, too.”

  “We’ll go see it tomorrow, right?”

  “Yeah, we’ll stop on the way home.”

  “This is so crazy. We just decided to build a house in a place we’ve never been.”

  Garret and I finish cleaning up breakfast and a few minutes later, Grace walks back into the kitchen. “It’s all set. The paperwork is underway. You will soon be landowners.”

  “Thanks again, Grace,” Garret says. “That’s very generous of you. Now do you have that grocery list? I should get going.”

  “Yes, I have it right here.” She hands him a piece of paper she had sitting by the phone. “Let me give you some money.”

  He laughs. “No. I got this. You just gave us four acres of oceanfront property. I’m paying for the groceries. I’ll see you guys later.”

  While Garret’s at the store, I help Grace take the covers off the furniture and fold them up. Then I sweep the wood floors while she dusts. Grace has housekeepers at her other houses, but this house is smaller than those and she likes to do the work herself. Plus, it’s good for her to get the exercise.

  When we’re done we go to the back yard and sit in the gazebo, which has flowers all around it.

  “So what’s Meredith like?” I ask Grace as she pours iced tea into some glasses. “She’s not like Victoria, is she?”

  “No. Not at all. She’s very quiet. Very smart. She has a PhD in economics but never used it. She just enjoys learning. Sometimes she audits college courses in topics that interest her.”

  “How long have William and Meredith been married?”

  Grace pauses to think. “It’s been about 23 years, I think.”

  “That’s a long time. They must’ve got married right after college.”

  “Yes, they were young.”

  I wonder if William was able to choose his wife or if Meredith was picked for him. When he talked about her that night we had dinner, it seemed like he really loved her. He smiled whenever he mentioned her and he had nothing but good things to say about her. So maybe he was allowed to choose her. I still don’t know how all that works and I know nobody will tell me. But I know in order to be married to William, Meredith’s father has to be part of the organization, which makes me kind of nervous to meet her.

  “So William and Meredith never wanted kids?” I ask Grace.

  She coughs a little on the iced tea she was drinking, then shakes her head as she clears her throat. “No. But they both love children.”

  She’s acting kind of strange. Maybe it’s a sensitive topic. Maybe they tried to have kids and couldn’t.

  “Does Meredith ever do anything with Victoria?” I ask.

  “Rarely. They see each other at dinner parties or charity events but that’s about it. They don’t have much in common. They saw each other more when the girls were younger, but now the girls are too busy to have time for their Aunt Meredith or Uncle William.”

  “They don’t have holidays together?”

  “No. Royce and Victoria always used to take the girls on trips for the holidays. And William and Meredith would either come to our house or go to her parents’ house for the holidays. This year, I’ll be going to William’s house for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

  “Maybe sometime you could spend the holidays with Garret and me.”

  “I would enjoy that.” She winks. “Maybe when you build that new house.”

  “Yes. Definitely.” I sip my iced tea.

  She shuts her eyes, inhaling the air through her nose, then smiles as she opens her eyes again. “I love smelling the flowers. They smell different here than in Florida. They’re the same flowers, but they have a slightly different scent. Perhaps because the air is so much drier here.”

  “Do you like living in Florida?”

  She sighs. “I do, but it’s not the same without Arlin. We used to spend all our time together when we lived there. We’d go golfing, take walks, play cards. It
wasn’t like at our house in the Hamptons, where Arlin would work on his sailboat and I would read or do other things. So it’s different being in Florida alone.” She runs her finger along the bottom of her glass.

  “Grace, why don’t you move?”

  She thinks I’m kidding and smiles. “And where would I move to?”

  “Here. This house. You should live here instead of Florida. The weather is warm. You like it here. And I’m just two hours away.”

  “Yes, but I always spend the winters in Florida. That’s the way it’s always been.”

  “So do something different. Just because you did that in the past doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it.” I turn so I’m facing her. “Grace. I want you to move here. I’m serious. I want to see you more. I don’t like having you so far away. And I don’t think you like being down there all alone.”

  She doesn’t respond, which tells me it’s true. She doesn’t like living there by herself.

  “Would you consider it? For me? I promise I’ll come visit you all the time. Every weekend if you want.”

  “Jade, no. You need to be at home, studying and spending time with Garret.”

  “Then every other weekend. Whatever. I just want you to live here. You do like it here, right?”

  “I love it here. I always have. I’ve just never actually lived here for more than a few weeks. This was a vacation home. Arlin and I would stay here for a week and then leave. We’d come here three or four times a year.”

  “Could you see yourself living here for more than a few weeks?”

  “I suppose I could. But I’d have to find a new bridge club.”

  “I’m sure they have them here. So what do you say? Will you do it?”

  She pats my hand. “I’ll consider it.”

  “What are my chances here? Like 50 percent? Eighty percent? I need to know how much harder I need to work to convince you.”

  “Well, given that you’re part of the equation, I’d say there’s a 90 percent chance I would agree to moving here. I’d love to be closer to you, Jade.”

  “Okay, I can work with 90 percent. That’s easy.”

  She laughs and moves on to talking about something else.

  I have to get Grace to do this. She’s not happy in Florida. I’m sure she has a beautiful house there, but it’s just a house and not a home when she’s stuck there all alone.

  Grace and I need to spend more time together. And unlike the rest of her family, I’m not just saying that. I actually will spend time with her. Not because I feel I have to, but because I want to. So before I leave tomorrow, I’m going to convince her to move to California.

  18

  GARRET

  When I got back from the grocery store, Jade and Grace were outside talking. I don’t know what they talked about, but Grace was in a much better mood than when I left. She seemed really depressed when Jade and I got here this morning.

  I’m not surprised Grace isn’t doing well. In the past year, she’s lost both her son and her husband. The only good thing is that she gained a granddaughter, but living in Florida, she never sees Jade. It’s too bad she doesn’t live here in California. It would be good for Jade to have her grandmother close by. And it would be good for Grace, too.

  As Grace and Jade put groceries away, I go to the back yard and take out the patio furniture from the storage shed. I just put it away when we were here in August. I set the patio table and chairs where they were last summer, and the two big white chairs in a sunny spot that’s surrounded by flowers.

  I sit in one of the chairs and close my eyes and let the sun soak into my skin. I take a moment to imagine the house we’re going to build. I can see it in my head and I can see us living there. And now that we have the land, we can start building it. Maybe we won’t wait. Maybe we’ll build it now so we can live there this summer.

  I can’t believe we got that land. When Grace described it, it was exactly where I pictured Jade and me living. I probably should’ve looked at it first, but I’m the type of person that goes with my gut. And my gut said this land was the right spot for our house. Sometimes you get a feeling you can’t explain and you just have to go with it.

  It’s like when I met Jade last year. At first, I wasn’t sure what to think of her. She wasn’t very friendly and her constant insults got old fast. But there was something about her that drew me in. Not just the fact that she’s beautiful. It was more than that. It was a feeling, a gut feeling, that told me I needed to give this girl a chance. And I did, and ended up falling in love with her.

  Listen to your gut. It doesn’t steer you wrong. That’s what I always tell myself. And that’s why I know this land is going to be perfect for us.

  “Garret?” I open my eyes and see Jade there. “Were you taking a nap?”

  “Just a short one.”

  “William and Meredith just got here. They’re inside if you want to say hi.”

  “Yeah, I’m coming.” I get up and follow her inside to the living room.

  William, Grace, and Meredith are all sitting there.

  William stands up. “Garret, glad you could make it.”

  “Yeah, it’s good we could all meet like this.”

  His wife stands up. “I’m Meredith, William’s wife. We’ve met before but I wasn’t sure if you remembered me.”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  I met Meredith a few years ago at a summer party at Royce’s house. Then I saw her a few other times at some charity events. She looks the same as always; straight brown hair, not much makeup. She’s wearing a skirt today, with a short-sleeve sweater.

  William is dressed in a polo shirt and casual, light-colored pants. He and his wife have more of a preppy, country-club look, whereas Royce and Victoria always dressed more formal, with him in suits and her in fancy dresses.

  We all take a seat. Grace asks Jade a series of questions to get her to talk about herself. Jade doesn’t like being the center of attention but she needs to talk because that’s why we’re here. William and Meredith want to get to know her.

  “How do you like Camsburg?” Meredith asks Jade. Meredith hasn’t said much since we sat down. It’s mostly been William talking to Jade.

  “It’s okay. The classes are good. They’re challenging.”

  “Did you like Moorhurst better?”

  “Not really. But I do have a good friend who still goes to Moorhurst so I miss going there because of her.”

  “It’s hard when you transfer like that. Sadie was just telling me how she’ll miss her Georgetown friends when she transfers to Yale next semester.”

  “Sadie’s going to Yale?”

  Meredith glances at William, like she’s wondering if that was a secret she wasn’t supposed to talk about.

  Grace answers. “Yes. Sadie is transferring there in the spring. I thought I mentioned that.”

  “No, I don’t think so.” Jade looks back at Meredith. “Why is she transferring?”

  “I’m not sure.” She nudges William. “What did she tell us was the reason?”

  Now Meredith is afraid to speak. She doesn’t need to be. We’re all family. We all know what’s going on. Sadie wants to be with Evan, her boyfriend. The guy who the organization picked to be president when their plans for me fell through. She wants to be first lady and she’s going to make sure that she is by marrying Evan as soon as he’ll let her.

  “Sadie wanted to be closer to her boyfriend,” William says. “Of course, that’s not what she tells people. She has some excuse about how Yale suits her better than Georgetown, but we all know the truth.”

  “Now, William,” Grace says. “You shouldn’t spread rumors about your niece. Maybe Yale is indeed a better fit for her.”

  He nods. “Perhaps you’re right, Mother.”

  Grace knows it’s not true. She knows Sadie’s true intentions. She just doesn’t want to admit that Sadie’s turning into the conniving, power-hungry person that her father was, and that her mother still is.

  �
�Oh, William, I have some news to share,” Grace says. “Jade and Garret are going to take the land I’d to plan to sell. They’re going to build a house on it.”

  William smiles at us. “That’s wonderful. Mother was very upset about having to sell it. I’m glad you two are interested in it.”

  At least he’s not mad about it. I wasn’t sure how he’d react to us taking the land.

  “We’re really excited about it,” I tell him. “We were just getting ready to start looking for a place to build and then Grace mentioned she was selling this land.”

  “You aren’t charging them for it, are you, Mother?” William asks her.

  “Of course not. They tried to buy it from me but I wouldn’t let them. I’m thrilled to be able to give it to them.”

  “This is excellent news. Now you won’t have to deal with the hassle of selling it and the land will remain in the family. We need to celebrate.” William stands up. “Mother, do you have some champagne? Or maybe some wine?”

  “I have wine, but William, Jade doesn’t drink.”

  “Then we’ll celebrate some other way. Jade? Garret? How would you like to celebrate?”

  Jade answers. “That’s okay. We don’t need to celebrate.”

  “We’re Sinclairs. We like to celebrate things. And the fact that we’re all here together is another reason to celebrate.”

  Grace gets up. “He’s right. We should go out for lunch. I know of a nice little place on the water that has a jazz band on Saturdays. And they have the best desserts. When you’re celebrating, you must have good desserts.”

  “I agree.” William motions the rest of us to get up. “Let’s go. We can take my car.”

  Every time I’ve been around William in the past, he’s very serious and businesslike. Today he’s being much more personable and laid-back.

  We go to lunch at the restaurant Grace recommended. It’s a casual place that serves mostly soups and sandwiches. The table we’re sitting at has a great view of the ocean and as Grace said, there’s a jazz band playing.

  “Your father always loved coming here on Saturdays,” Grace says to William.

  We just finished lunch and the waitress dropped off the dessert menus.