Home at Last

by Judith Keim

  Melba placed Lulu’s small suitcase on a rack. “Come down when you’re ready. I’ve made some of your favorite biscuits to go with the soup.”

  Lulu unpacked. As she placed pieces of clothing in drawers or hung them in the closet, she realized she’d have to go through her wardrobe and make decisions of her own. She’d choose carefully what things to keep and give the rest to charity.

  Moments later, she was sitting at the kitchen table with her mother and Melba.

  “Will has kept in touch with me,” her mother announced. “Such a fine, young man. I hope you don’t mind, but when he called this morning I told him you were coming home for a few days.”

  “I don’t know if I should see him or not,” Lulu said. “I’m still feeling pretty shaky and very mixed-up at the moment.”

  “Do what your heart tells you to do,” said Melba.

  After Lulu had eaten the last of her soup and swallowed the final piece of her biscuit, she sat back in her chair. “That was delicious. Thank you so much, Melba. If you two don’t mind, I’m going to lie down for a little while.”

  “Not at all,” said her mother. “Rest will be good for you.”

  As Lulu left the kitchen, she overheard Melba say to her mother, “You did a good job of keeping bad thoughts away. I know how worried you are about Lulu.”

  They were such wonderful friends, thought Lulu. She knew from helping her mother with her father’s estate that Melba had been well taken care of as the beneficiary of a large insurance policy of his. He’d had several other policies designating her mother and her, but none pleased her more than the one indicating her father had recognized Melba’s contribution to the family.

  Lulu climbed the stairs and stopped in the upstairs hallway to view the family photos mounted there. Pain stabbed her when she saw a picture of her and her brother standing on a sandy beach. Her brother should not have drowned. He was a healthy boy, a good swimmer. Even though everyone told her it was an accident she couldn’t have prevented, she always wondered if he’d be alive today if she’d been there with him.

  She studied the picture of her father and her standing on a dais together, his right fist raised in triumph. Oh, but he was a good-looking man adored by everyone—the expression on her face as she looked up at him said it all.

  She moved along to study other family photos. As she stared at the photos of the four of them, then the three of them standing together, she thought what a façade it was. The smiles on their faces failed to reach their eyes. Were all political families like this?

  Saddened, she went into her bedroom. Exhaustion softened her limbs. Too weak to stand, she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes.

  ###

  The blue skies were turning gray when she awoke and lay staring up at the ceiling. She told herself to get up and get moving before the hopelessness she felt overwhelmed her. After a minute or two, she forced herself to her feet.

  When she went downstairs, she found Melba and her mother sitting in front of a computer.

  Her mother looked up at her. “We’re making a list of the furnishings so any dealer who comes in will know exactly what I have.”

  “Good idea. The only two things I want are the oil painting over the fireplace and the watercolor in the den.”

  “You’ve got it,” her mother said. “I was going to take the oil painting, but I can envision how nice the landscape will look in your house, and I want you to have it. You can also take the watercolor. It’s a nice, woodsy scene that reminds me of Chandler Hill. I bought it right after your father and I were married. There’s another painting you might want. It’s the abstract in the front hall. Check it out.”

  Lulu went into the front hall and studied it. The blues and purples along with the other colors of reds and oranges reminded her of sunsets at Chandler Hill. She promptly decided to accept it.

  She told her mother she’d take all three and said, “What can I do to help?”

  Melba handed her a sheet of paper entitled ‘Dining Room.’ “The top listings are things your mother is keeping. Anything else needs to be listed.”

  Lulu was in the dining room sorting through dishes and linens when her mother rushed into the room. “The house has been sold! I have thirty days to get out. Oh, Lulu, I’m so glad you’re here! Now I can move everything I want into the condo and leave the rest behind. You’re going to have to take anything you want when you drive back to Oregon.”

  “How? My car is there.”

  Her mother grinned. “I was saving it as a surprise, but I’m buying you a new car! An SUV that’s more suitable than your small convertible. A Lexus—something like Cami has.”

  Lulu’s eyes widened with surprise. “Really? That would be wonderful and much more useful.”

  “All you have to do is pick the color. Guess you shouldn’t wait too long. It looks like you’ll be needing it. We have a lot of work to do to get everything you want into the car. Remember, you can have anything you want that Melba and I haven’t already chosen.” Her mother all but danced out of the room.

  Watching her leave, Lulu shook her head. Maybe, like her mother, it was time to leave all the bad memories here and move ahead. But, like her mother, she’d take some practical things with her.

  After she finished doing an inventory of the dining room, Lulu taped together one of the boxes Melba had picked up at the store and labeled it hers. She carried it into the dining room and carefully wrapped a few serving pieces, candlesticks, and other things she’d decided to keep and placed them in the box.

  The living room was next on her list. Lulu noted that her mother had chosen few pieces from that room and none of the furniture she’d disliked. As for herself, Lulu chose a small sculpture that had always sat next to a decorative vase on the mantlepiece. She listed everything else carefully on the sheet of paper.

  Melba came into the room as she finished. “I’ve fixed dinner for you. I’m going home to Jerome. See you tomorrow.”

  “Thanks for everything,” Lulu said, meaning more than her physical help today.

  “You’re going to be just fine,” Melba said quietly, and hugged her close.

  ###

  Dinner that night was pleasant. Pot roast had always been one of her mother’s favorites. Especially the way Melba cooked it with fresh carrots and pearl onions. A comfort food, for sure.

  “Are you going to miss any part of this house?” Lulu asked her mother.

  “Only the sun room,” she replied. “Your father allowed me to decorate it the way I wanted with lots of clean-lined furniture and plenty of plants. I always felt as if I could breathe easily there. Of course, things are different now. I’m much freer to do as I wish without seeking approval from your father. He very much enjoyed having control over things.”

  Lulu set down her fork and leaned toward her mother. “Why didn’t you fight him on this and everything else? Many women today wouldn’t put up with that kind of crap.”

  “I don’t know,” her mother said. “Maybe because like so many of his believers, I thought I’d help him do good for others by keeping things the way he wanted them at home. Especially because I couldn’t give him all that he wanted.”

  “More children?”

  Her mother’s cheeks grew pink. “And other more intimate things. Especially after I learned of his affairs.”

  Lulu sighed and shook her head. “I always feel conflicted when I think of Dad. I loved him, but I hated what he did to you and how he thought he could have anything or anybody he wanted.”

  “He was trained from an early age to believe that,” Lulu’s mother said. “His father was a driven man living vicariously through his son. Edward was born to fulfill his father’s dream. He believed all he’d been told through the years, and having money and his good looks helped. I thought I was going to be his helpmate. But I learned early on I was only a prop. By then I’d started to have real issues with depression which, I’m sure, I inherited from my mother. It became clear that I couldn’t do e
verything he or I wanted.”

  “But you’re doing so well now,” said Lulu.

  “I am, but I’m working on it in a way I never did before. Therapy, new medications, staying away from alcohol and pain killers are all helping me.”

  “And having Dad gone,” said Lulu.

  “Yes, that too, as awful as it sounds.”

  “I love you, Mom. I feel much closer to you than I ever have.”

  Her mother reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Me too.”

  They sat discussing various topics. And when they both began to yawn, they worked together to rinse the dishes and put away the food.

  “Tomorrow is another busy day. I want to show you the condo, and we have to choose the color of your car.”

  “I’ll need to pick up more boxes for all my stuff. After working on the inventory, I think I’d like a few more things than I’d thought. Nothing big, just things that mean something to me and to keep for the family I hope to have one day.” Lulu’s voice broke.

  “Aw, honey, it’s going to happen. You’ll meet the right man, and everything will fall into place.”

  Lulu sighed. “I guess so.”

  “C’mon, let’s get to bed.”

  Lulu followed her mother up the stairs, trying not to think of the man that she might have found already. It would never work between them.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  After meeting with the car dealership and selecting the car she wanted, Lulu rode with her mother to Rosalie’s new condo, curious to see what it would be like. Situated in the Hollywood area, which was enjoying rejuvenation, the complex was touted as something unique. Still, Lulu was unprepared for the contemporary elegance in her mother’s condo, the expanse of glass, and the flow of space in the large, three-bedroom, four-bath home.

  “It’s gorgeous! I feel like a bird sitting on a tree limb high above the ground,” gushed Lulu. At the smile on her mother’s face, she knew she’d said the right thing.

  “I feel free here,” her mother said. “Your father made this possible, for which I’ll always be grateful.”

  “You’ve earned it, Mom,” said Lulu, gazing out the window at the views all around her. “I’m happy for you.”

  “You can understand now why I have no need of anything from the house. Better to give it to someone we know or to charity.”

  “Absolutely.”

  After taking a second, longer tour of the property, Lulu was more convinced that this was the right place for her mother. And when a neighbor rang the bell to welcome her, Lulu was even happier with her mother’s decision.

  “How does Melba like it?” Lulu asked on their way back to the house.

  “She loves it. I thought she might like to retire, do more traveling, but she said she loves being free to come and go as she wishes and have a life separate from her own with Jerome. They deeply love one another, but since he’s retired they need a break from one another. Retirement is something all my friends tell me can be a very difficult position for many.”

  “This will give you the chance to do some of the projects I remember you used to like,” said Lulu. “Everything will be convenient for you.”

  “Yes, but I intend to come to Chandler Hill too. It will be a nice break, and I love being part of the family there with you.”

  “Me too,” said Lulu, realizing that though she’d been anxious to leave it, she was now eager to get back there.

  She was working at her mother’s house when she received a call from Will. “Heard you were back in town. Can we get together? It’s important.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m very busy helping my mother move. Is it something we can take care of over the phone?”

  “Lulu, I need to talk to you. In person. Can you do that for me?”

  “Okay. How about later today? I can meet you then. Shall we say Giardi’s at five?”

  “Sounds good. See you there.”

  ###

  The minute Lulu walked into the bar she saw Will talking to a gentleman she didn’t know. When he saw her standing there, Will hurried over to her. “Glad you’re here. I want you to meet Mike Sanchez. He’s a generous supporter of mine.”

  Lulu frowned and tried to hide her annoyance. “I thought you wanted to discuss something personal. This is business.”

  “You got it. Big Business. You have to help me here.”

  Lulu sighed and walked with Will across the room to the man openly surveying her.

  “Mike, here she is. Louise Kingsley, Edward’s daughter. Following in her father’s footsteps, she’s as savvy as they come. I’m sure she can provide the kind of impact we’re trying to create, if you’re willing to lend a hand.”

  Lulu clenched her jaw to keep from screaming at Will. He was using her to get donations for his campaign? The ass!

  “How do you do, Louise,” Mike said, giving her a smile Lulu thought was a bit sly. “I’m an old friend of your father’s and remember seeing you on a couple of his campaign trails. Once a politician, always a politician, eh?”

  “Not always,” Lulu cautioned him. “In fact, you might not have heard, but I’m no longer living and working in California and have no desire to return.”

  “Having you live out-of-town doesn’t prevent you from endorsing my campaign and helping out from time to time,” said Will smoothly. “That’s the beauty of it. It’s the best of both worlds.”

  When she didn’t reply, Mike turned to Will. “We’ll talk later. I’m on my way to another meeting. Nice to meet you, Louise.”

  Lulu shook hands with him and then excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. She hated being used by Will and wanted to wash the sleezy feeling off her fingers before attacking Will for putting her on the spot like that.

  When she returned to him, he said, “I’d offer to buy you a drink, but I guess that’s inappropriate in your condition.”

  Lulu blinked rapidly at the sting of tears in her eyes. “I lost the baby.”

  “Well, then, let’s take a booth and we can talk there. Red wine sound okay?”

  She nodded and went to the booth farthest from the door. She didn’t want to be seen with Will.

  He brought back a glass of wine for her and a glass of what she knew would be expensive Scotch for himself. “Sorry, I couldn’t give you an earlier warning, but I had to take the chance for you to meet Mike when the opportunity arose,” he said, sliding into the booth.

  He raised his glass. “Here’s to you! Are you okay? I’m sorry about the baby.”

  “Thanks. It’s a big disappointment to me.”

  “Oh, but ...”

  At the warning look she shot him, he stopped talking.

  “I’m sorry, Lulu. I really am. However, this should make it easier for you to help me out. Even from a distance you can do things for the campaign.”

  Lulu set down her wine glass. “I didn’t lie to you, Will, when I said I love my new family and want to stay there to help them. I’d be willing to endorse you, but that’s it. I’m done with politics. You of all people should understand. As we speak, you’re already filling my father’s shoes. For all the good he planned, I’ll do what I said, but nothing more.”

  “I’ll give you more time to think it over,” said Will. “I shouldn’t have pushed this on you without warning.”

  A flash of light suddenly went off, stopping their conversation.

  “What the ...” said Will, rising to his feet and facing a photographer.

  “Compliments of Mike Sanchez,” said the photographer. “For future use.”

  Lulu’s stomach twisted with disbelief. She felt sicker than she had in the last weeks. What a dirty, slime ball trick. One she wouldn’t fall for.

  ###

  When their picture hit the papers and the online networks picked it up, Lulu was once more caught in a vise of unwanted publicity. She swore, then cried as she vowed to leave California forever.

  “I’m furious with Will for putting you through this,” said her mother. “He
should know better than to make you a target of the media. He’s aware of what we’ve gone through.”

  “It’s so unfair,” said Lulu. “I’m so done with public life. As soon as I can, I’m going back to Chandler Hill where I’m safe.”

  ###

  Two days later, her “cashmere tan” SUV was packed to the top with clothing, shoes, boxes, a couple of lamps, and the three large paintings she loved.

  She glanced at the rear-view mirror and saw her mother and Melba standing side by side waving goodbye. A lump filled her throat. They were two incredible women, and she was glad to have them in her life.

  When she finally drove up the driveway to the house she’d rented, Lulu couldn’t help but compare it to the glamorous, high-end condo her mother now owned. As different as they were, Lulu felt they were the right choices for each of them. It pleased her that she’d be able to dress up the house with things that were special to her. If necessary, she’d ask Rafe to help her hang the artwork.

  Thinking of him, she wondered about Rafe and his wife, Maria. She’d been told their marriage hadn’t been all that happy, but the sadness in his eyes when he’d talked about the babies they’d lost gave her a better understanding of how much he treasured Cami and now her. He was definitely a family man. She’d thought at one time that if her baby was a boy, she’d name him Rafe.

  Lulu called Cami to say she was back in town and would be available for work tomorrow.

  “Wonderful!” Cami said. “You’re just in time for the Valentine Dinner Dance this weekend. We need all of our family and top staff to be present.”

  “I’ll be there to help,” said Lulu, grateful to be considered family. “Have the things I ordered for the spring catalog come in?”

  “Gwen said only a few are outstanding, but you’ll want to check in with her.”

  Lulu spent the day unpacking her car and organizing everything in the house. After two different trips to the hardware store, all three paintings were hung in what she considered perfect spots. With a few additional touches to the living areas, more utensils in the kitchen and serving pieces stored in the dining area, Lulu was much more comfortable in the house.