blessed to find two wonderful men in one lifetime. There would be no
third time for her. And, that being the case, what would she do with the rest of
her life? She’d spent so many years as a wife and companion. What was she
now?
Still a mother, she reminded herself, and that was a role a
woman never stepped out of. Life goes on.
What a depressing saying! On days like this it seemed wrong
that life kept going when someone you loved died. Now hers wasn’t going to
simply keep going it was about to turn into a whirlwind, and she wasn’t ready.
But she would be. For everyone’s sake she had to be. She’d call
Samantha…tomorrow.
* * *
“That’s great,” Cecily said after Samantha told her the
news.
“And it will be really good for Mom,” Samantha said. “She can’t
keep sitting in the house doing nothing.”
“Well.” Cecily was thoughtful. “I don’t know. We’re not giving
her any time to grieve.”
“There isn’t time, not if we want to keep our business.”
“Whoa, Scrooge lives.”
“Scrooge has to. Did she tell you Waldo let his life insurance
lapse?”
“What? You mean—”
“She gets nothing. Nada. Zip.”
“The new house isn’t paid off, is it?” Now Cecily sounded
worried.
And so she should. Someone besides Samantha needed to be.
“Nope, and she’s upside down on it.”
Cecily let out her breath. “This is not good.”
Samantha agreed. “The sooner you get here, the better, because
Mom’s not answering her phone.”
“Well, maybe she’s out running errands.”
“No, she’s in the house moping.”
“How do you know?”
“Because that’s what she was doing last time I went over.”
There was silence, and suddenly Samantha felt guilty. “What?” she demanded,
ignoring the little voice jeering, Rotten daughter, rotten
daughter, rotten, rotten daughter.
“You’re not cutting her much slack.”
Her sister was right and that made Samantha testy. “There’s no
time to cut anybody any slack.”
“You’ve got a point there,” Cecily said diplomatically.
Darn right she did. Oh, who was she kidding? She was the
world’s biggest bitch. Her sisters should get her a dog collar for her next
birthday.
She heaved a sigh. “You’re right. Mom needs a chance to grieve
and I need to see a shrink.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get you whipped into shape,” Cecily
teased.
“I think it’s hopeless,” Samantha said. “I should go. I’ve got
to get over to city hall and start things moving on the permits.”
“Okay. I’ll be there by the end of the week.”
Samantha only hoped her sister wasn’t closing shop on her
account. “Are you positive you want to do this?”
“Absolutely. You probably don’t really need me, though. Knowing
you, everything’s under control.”
Even though she’d felt put-upon when her sisters left her
holding the bag at Sweet Dreams, she had to admit she liked being in control.
Except this was still a family business. Had she really made Cecily think she
didn’t need her?
That last thought came as a bit of a revelation. “I need you to
help me keep all these balls in the air,” she said. “And to keep me sane.”
“Well, I’m not sure about that last one, but I can help with
the juggling.”
“Thanks,” Samantha said. “Have I told you recently what a great
sister you are?”
“No. But you’re right. I am.”
She could hear the smile in Cecily’s voice, and when she hung
up she was smiling, too. She wasn’t going to have to hold down the chocolate
fort alone. Reinforcements were coming. She shot an email to Ed to let him know
she was getting the permit process started, then grabbed her purse and coat and
left her office.
“I’m off to city hall to apply for permits,” she told Elena,
who had stopped a rapid-fire conversation in Spanish to ask where she was going.
“I shouldn’t be long.”
Elena nodded and returned to her conversation, frowning and
gesticulating madly. The waving arm and Spanish could
third time for her. And, that being the case, what would she do with the rest of
her life? She’d spent so many years as a wife and companion. What was she
now?
Still a mother, she reminded herself, and that was a role a
woman never stepped out of. Life goes on.
What a depressing saying! On days like this it seemed wrong
that life kept going when someone you loved died. Now hers wasn’t going to
simply keep going it was about to turn into a whirlwind, and she wasn’t ready.
But she would be. For everyone’s sake she had to be. She’d call
Samantha…tomorrow.
* * *
“That’s great,” Cecily said after Samantha told her the
news.
“And it will be really good for Mom,” Samantha said. “She can’t
keep sitting in the house doing nothing.”
“Well.” Cecily was thoughtful. “I don’t know. We’re not giving
her any time to grieve.”
“There isn’t time, not if we want to keep our business.”
“Whoa, Scrooge lives.”
“Scrooge has to. Did she tell you Waldo let his life insurance
lapse?”
“What? You mean—”
“She gets nothing. Nada. Zip.”
“The new house isn’t paid off, is it?” Now Cecily sounded
worried.
And so she should. Someone besides Samantha needed to be.
“Nope, and she’s upside down on it.”
Cecily let out her breath. “This is not good.”
Samantha agreed. “The sooner you get here, the better, because
Mom’s not answering her phone.”
“Well, maybe she’s out running errands.”
“No, she’s in the house moping.”
“How do you know?”
“Because that’s what she was doing last time I went over.”
There was silence, and suddenly Samantha felt guilty. “What?” she demanded,
ignoring the little voice jeering, Rotten daughter, rotten
daughter, rotten, rotten daughter.
“You’re not cutting her much slack.”
Her sister was right and that made Samantha testy. “There’s no
time to cut anybody any slack.”
“You’ve got a point there,” Cecily said diplomatically.
Darn right she did. Oh, who was she kidding? She was the
world’s biggest bitch. Her sisters should get her a dog collar for her next
birthday.
She heaved a sigh. “You’re right. Mom needs a chance to grieve
and I need to see a shrink.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get you whipped into shape,” Cecily
teased.
“I think it’s hopeless,” Samantha said. “I should go. I’ve got
to get over to city hall and start things moving on the permits.”
“Okay. I’ll be there by the end of the week.”
Samantha only hoped her sister wasn’t closing shop on her
account. “Are you positive you want to do this?”
“Absolutely. You probably don’t really need me, though. Knowing
you, everything’s under control.”
Even though she’d felt put-upon when her sisters left her
holding the bag at Sweet Dreams, she had to admit she liked being in control.
Except this was still a family business. Had she really made Cecily think she
didn’t need her?
That last thought came as a bit of a revelation. “I need you to
help me keep all these balls in the air,” she said. “And to keep me sane.”
“Well, I’m not sure about that last one, but I can help with
the juggling.”
“Thanks,” Samantha said. “Have I told you recently what a great
sister you are?”
“No. But you’re right. I am.”
She could hear the smile in Cecily’s voice, and when she hung
up she was smiling, too. She wasn’t going to have to hold down the chocolate
fort alone. Reinforcements were coming. She shot an email to Ed to let him know
she was getting the permit process started, then grabbed her purse and coat and
left her office.
“I’m off to city hall to apply for permits,” she told Elena,
who had stopped a rapid-fire conversation in Spanish to ask where she was going.
“I shouldn’t be long.”
Elena nodded and returned to her conversation, frowning and
gesticulating madly. The waving arm and Spanish could
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