Soleil looked down at the floor, but she still kept her hands on her hips.
Eve’s eyes had softened. “In the time that I have been here, I discovered that even though I never knew my father, I learned about him through all of you. Both of you are my sisters. I love both of you.” Eve put her hands on her hips, mirroring Soleil. “Even though you are the craziest, most foul-mouthed bitch that I ever met, I love you, Soleil DeSalle.”
The last embers crackled as Eve and Soleil stared at each other.
“I love you, too, Eve,” Lucy said, hoping that Soleil would respond in the same way.
They continued to stare at each other. Soleil dropped her hands. They fell limply to her side. She went over to the fireplace and stoked the last of the fire.
“You are one crazy bitch, Eve,” Soleil said.
“Takes one to know one,” Eve retorted. She folded her arms across her chest.
Soleil scratched her head. “I’m hungry,” she said.
The confrontation was over. Soleil had voiced her affection for her oldest sister, in her own special way.
“Let’s go out for pizza,” Lucy said.
“Sure. I’ll drive if you two can get your big asses in the front seat of my truck,” Soleil quipped.
“Look behind you, sister,” Eve answered back.
Lucy laughed to herself. They really were alike. She glanced toward the house. “I’m going upstairs to tell Mariah that we are going out.” She headed to the door, still smiling.
When she entered her mother’s bedroom, Mariah was standing in front of her dresser, looking in the mirror. She had the diamond ring on her finger. She turned to look at Lucy.
Lucy stood behind her mother and smoothed Mariah’s long braids down her back. She looked at the reflection in the mirror. “It looks beautiful. You would have been a beautiful bride. Maybe someday you will be.” She kissed her mother’s neck and laid her hands on her shoulders.
Mariah continued to gaze in the mirror. “Maybe. But don’t hold your breath. I’m a one-man woman.”
She squeezed Mariah’s shoulders. “We are going out for pizza. Do you want to go?”
Mariah smiled. “No. You girls go ahead. Don’t be out too late. Remember, we have to go to Lieberman’s office tomorrow morning.”
Lucy thought about asking her about the meeting, but she decided not to. They would all find out tomorrow.
Lucy kissed her mother again, this time on the lips. She left the room and went downstairs to join her sisters.
Soleil
As soon as she got home, Soleil started going through the mail that she had thrown into a wicker basket. She found the envelope at the bottom of the pile. Why hadn’t she noticed it before?
She tore the envelope open. She brushed her hands over the CD, one of the last things her father touched. She held it gingerly as she walked into her bedroom. Her hands vibrated as she opened the door to the CD player.
The CD drawer retracted. Soleil watched as if she expected it to turn into her father.
“Uh, Soleil, this is your Dad.” The voice was fuzzy and hoarse. None of them called Mik by that moniker. Lucy may have when she was young, but that was long ago.
“Soleil,” Mik started again. “I’m sorry to hear that you are sterile. You are a beautiful, wonderful girl and you don’t deserve that kind of shit.” He sighed heavily and coughed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you were growing up. Maybe things would have been different if I would have been around for you.” He went into a coughing fit.
“But don’t blame Faith for everything. She never knew any better. She didn’t know how to be a mother. She didn’t have, uh, what you call role models. Her mother beat her all of the time, so she beat you. She just didn’t know any other way to act. She really does loves you, but she doesn’t know how to show it. I doubt if she ever will. That’s why she stays loaded and high all of the time.” His voice trailed off. Then she heard him sniff. “Faith stole your childhood, but now you are an adult. Only you can determine what happens next.”
Soleil looked at the dreamcatcher she had hung at the window. She plopped down on her bed and closed her eyes, waiting for her father to continue.
A minute passed before he spoke again. “You are nothing like your mother or me. You are smart. You are a survivor. And I’m proud of you. Your mother is proud of you, too.” He started to cough again.
“You have the chops, Soleil. You are one hell of a singer. And I think you are a better guitar player than I ever was. Even before your recital, there was a buzz about you. Lots of people are impressed with your talent. Just be careful out there. The business can destroy you if you don’t have the discipline and the right people working for you.”
In her mind, Soleil could see her father sitting on his leather sofa with a bottle of brandy in his hand as she expressed her hurt and rage. She could see him raking his fingers through his long hair. She could see the pain in his deep blue eyes.
“And don’t forget about your family, those who love you. That’s what I did, Soleil. I was so hooked on the music that everything else came second. That includes you and your sisters. I hurt Dee, Eve and Ricky when I left them behind in Pittsburgh. I hurt Rani. I hurt Mari over and over again. She didn’t deserve the shit I piled on her.”
He stopped talking again. Maybe Mariah was there while he was making her tape.
“I wish I hadn’t gotten strung out on drugs. But it wasn’t all Faith’s fault, either. I should have helped her kick drugs, not join her in getting fucked up. But I didn’t, and I almost lost everything. I caused you to almost lose everything. I know that you hate Sal, but she was the one who helped me get straight. But she came along too late. Or maybe she was the wrong woman for the job.” He moaned as if he was in pain. “I know she was the wrong woman.
“I wish I could be there when you cut your first CD, but I won’t. I’m leaving you my guitars and shit, so that should help you out a bit. You can just sell what you don’t need. I wish I could do more, but frankly, Soleil, you don’t need my help. You can do it all by yourself.”
He moaned. “I love you, Little Sun. You have always been the light of my life. You will be the one to take my talent to the next level. Give it all that you got, but don’t lose your head or your heart. The music will try to steal them from you, but don’t give them up. Give up the music before you give up your heart.” His breathing became staggered and heavy.
“That way, you can still look at yourself in the mirror each morning. I lost that ability a long time ago.”
Soleil could barely feel the tears rolling off of each side of her face. She sat up and put her face in her hands. She was in the bed when she was notified of his death. Now she was in the same bed being notified of his love. It was too little, too late. But it was all she had left.
“I’m glad I had the chance to see you today. I wish I could have taken your pain away.” He sighed again and his breath came out in ragged bursts. “Take care of yourself, Soleil. Never give up hope. I’ll be watching over you. You will always have my love. Don’t you ever forget that, okay?”
He started to sing hoarsely. “Nous sommes du soleil, we love when we play…” His voice trailed away. He said goodbye by singing the song that inspired her name.
Soleil listened to the hum of the CD player. There was nothing more from her father.
Soleil got up from the bed. Her nose was running. Before she reached the stereo, music started to play. There was more on the CD. Her father’s voice, accompanied by an acoustic guitar, filled the room. Soleil sat back down on the bed, swiping at her eyes and nose. She listened intently to the voice that was her first inspiration.
It was a beautiful song, one she had never heard before. The song would be her first single. It was the least she could do. She reached into the drawer of her nightstand and pulled out a music notebook. She tried to discern notes and chords as she scribbled down the lyrics. But every time she bent over the page, a drop of water would fall and smear
the ink. But she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. The music was all she had left. The music and her sisters.
She tried not to think about her father’s words. But she was surrounded by his voice. His spirit was in the room with her.
Why did he wait twenty-two years to tell her that he loved her? Why did he wait until his dying breath to tell her he was proud of her? As much as she loved her father and admired his talent, he was a chickenshit.
She put down the pencil and paper. She had heard enough for one day. She turned off the CD player, turned off the light and got into bed with her clothes on. Exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Chapter Eighteen
Eve
Eve gazed out of the window of the backseat of the Jaguar as they drove from Malibu to Beverly Hills. The last few days had been too surreal. She didn’t know what to think anymore. According to Mariah, her father had been murdered. And he had called her mother the night he died. It all seemed too strange to be real.
She wondered what her father had said in her CD. Last night at the pizza parlor, Soleil said she would listen to her CD as soon as she got home. Would she share the message he left for her? Eve realized that she loved her father, even if she would never be able to really understand him.
That morning a thought came to her. When she got home, she would change her name back to Shelton. She did not want to keep the name of the man who betrayed her, the man who was a kidnapper, blackmailer and drug dealer. She hated Brad even more now than she did when she divorced him. She hated that he could become so twisted, so evil. Or maybe he had been like that all along and she was just too lonely to see it when she married him.
She also wanted to go back to her maiden name in order to preserve it. The name had died with her brother, as her father only had three sisters. She decided that she would become Evelyn Shelton again, and she would remain Evelyn Shelton for the rest of her life. Even if she remarried, she would not change her name.
Maybe she would adopt a son, a hard-to-place toddler, and give him the Shelton name. Since she would be rich soon, she should do something to help others. She thought about what it would be like to have a child. She would definitely raise her child differently than the way she had been raised. She would tell her children that she loved them every single day.
She looked at Mariah and Lucy in the front of the car. Lucy never had to think about her mother’s love. It was a constant in her life, and always had been. The closeness between them was obvious by the way they sat in the car. Lucy seemed to lean towards her mother. She looked at her frequently as she drove.
This morning, when Mariah came downstairs wearing the ring Mik had given her, Lucy’s eyes lit up. The ring was a symbol, a symbol of a love that had lasted for over three decades. Lucy could take comfort in the fact that her parents had really loved each other, something neither her nor Soleil could.
“You know what this is about, don’t you?” Lucy asked her mother. “What could Faith have left for Soleil? Why would Faith have a will?”
Mariah nodded, but did not turn her head. “You will find out when we get there.”
“Why did you clean out the other bedroom last night? Are you expecting company? Who is coming to visit?”
Now Mariah glanced at her daughter. “No one is coming to visit. You will find out the answers soon enough.” She returned her attention to the road.
Lucy turned around and looked at her. “What do you think, Eve?”
“I think that Mariah is right, we will find out when we get to the lawyer’s office.”
“I hope that Soleil doesn’t forget,” Mariah said. “I should have called her before we left home.”
Lucy picked up the car phone. “Do you want me to call her now?”
Mariah shook her head. “No. I’m sure she will remember.”
“Well, she was planning to listen to Mik’s CD last night. Who knows how it affected her,” Eve said. Eve thought about her own CD, waiting for her in Pittsburgh.
“She’ll make it,” Mariah reiterated.
Eve was still thinking about her CD. Would it be there when she got home? She had forgot to hold her mail, and her mother was supposed to be picking it up for her. Would Deidre see the envelope with his handwriting on it and throw it away? Eve knew that her mother had thrown away letters and presents he had sent her through the years. Would she respect her privacy, or would she go through her mail? Since her mother had hung up on her the last time they spoke, she could not trust Deidre to behave rationally if she saw the envelope.
They had arrived in Beverly Hills. The streets and the shops looked like a movie set, not a place where real people lived and worked.
Mariah parked the car. Eve looked around her as she got out of the car. The last two times she had been to Lieberman’s office had changed her life. What would happen this time?
“Here we are,” Mariah said brightly.
Eve looked around for Soleil’s truck, but it was not in sight.
“Soleil’s not here yet,” Lucy stated.
Mariah walked purposefully towards the office. “She will be here.”
The three of them walked into the building and entered the elevator. Eve thought about when she had been in the elevator with Lucy and Soleil after her first visit to the office. Her whole life had changed since that visit.
The same receptionist was there. The stick-thin blonde led them to the conference room. It was the same room with the polished round table where they had met the first time.
Eve walked into the room after Mariah and Lucy. Lieberman stood up and came to the door to welcome them. The olive-skinned attorney with the salt and pepper hair and expensive suit held out his hand to Mariah. “I’m glad that you could make it, Mariah.” He nodded at Eve and Lucy and looked past them toward the reception area. “Where is Soleil?”
Mariah returned the handshake. “She will be here shortly.”
Eve looked at the other two people seated at the table. There was a middle-aged woman with long, straight red hair and freckles that popped out from her tanned face. Next to her was a little girl. The little girl appeared to be around seven years old. She had light tan skin and light brown curly hair framing her head like a halo. She looked exactly like a miniature version of Soleil.
“Oh, my God!” Lucy looked at the girl and covered her mouth.
Eve was too shocked to do anything but stare.
Mariah walked toward the woman, who had stood up. “Hello, Connie.” The two women hugged briefly. Connie sat back down and looked at the child.
Mariah smiled at the little girl, who moved closer to the woman. She held out her hand. “Hi, Mika. I’m Mariah.”
Mika’s lower lip trembled as she stared at Mariah. “Hi,” she said shyly. She stared at Lucy and Eve.
“Mika?” Lucy whispered to her. “What the hell is going on here?”
Eve was still speechless.
Lieberman showed them to seats around the table. “Eve MacRae, Lucy Williams, I would like you to meet Connie Dyson.”
Connie nodded at them, but did not get up. She patted Mika’s hand.
Lieberman cleared his throat. He focused his attention on the child. “Eve, Lucy, this is Mika Shelton.”
“Oh, shit.” The words came out before Eve could stop them. She felt like she was a guest on the Jerry Springer Show. This couldn’t be happening, she thought.
At that moment, Soleil walked in. She looked at Connie and Mika. “What the fuck,” she shouted.
Soleil
As soon as she awoke this morning, Soleil had been filled with curiosity about the meeting at Lieberman’s office. What could possibly happen now, she wondered? What was the big mystery?
She walked in the room just as Lieberman was making introductions. She looked at the face of a little girl that was her mirror image. Immediately, she knew that Faith was her mother. Her eyes grew wide with confusion.
The little girl was no older than seven. She was a
beauty, with Faith’s slanted eyes and full lips, but she also had the same family resemblance that Soleil shared with Lucy and Eve. She looked at her sisters to gauge their reactions. She could not will herself to sit down yet.
Eve stared at the little girl, who stared boldly back. Lucy’s eyes darted around the room, purposely avoiding looking at the girl. Her hand was trembling. Mariah’s face showed no reaction, but she absently twisted the diamond ring she wore on her left-hand ring finger.
Connie whispered something to the little girl and smoothed down her light brown curly hair. It had been years since she had seen Connie, even though she had spoken to her two days ago. Connie had been one of Faith’s few friends. She remembered seeing the woman around her house when she was a little girl. She wondered about the connection between Connie and the little girl called Mika. Mika? Why Mika?
Lieberman cleared his throat again. It was his characteristic way of indicating that he was ready to begin. He looked at Soleil and Mariah. “Mariah Williams, Soleil DeSalle, I have a document here from the late Faith Armstrong DeSalle.”
“My mother left a will?” Soleil asked incredulously. Faith didn’t have anything that she wanted.
“No, she didn’t. This document concerns the custody of the young lady seated here.” He smiled at the little girl, who looked frightened.
“Who is she?” Eve asked Lieberman, even though she and Lucy were only there as observers.
Lieberman coughed. “Uh, that is a little complicated.” He smiled again at the girl. “This is Mika Luna Shelton.” He looked at Soleil. “She is your half-sister,” he coughed again, “and your niece.”
Lucy covered her mouth with her hands. Eve did a double take and pursed her lips slightly.
“You mean my mother…”
“… And my brother?” Eve finished. The unspoken rest of the sentence hung in the air.
Soleil remembered what Faith had said to her on the night she had taken her life. She had mentioned that she had an affair with Ricky, but she had not mentioned a pregnancy. Then she remembered her call to Connie’s house. Mika was the little girl who had answered the telephone.
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