Total pages in book: 212
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
“Who do you think she’d leave the money to?” Tammy asked. “Of course she left it to you. Her uncle gave it to her, but she said you were always his favorite and he asked her to save you some. She said it was a shame what happened to Kailey, but said it was kind of better for you that you got her money after Kailey was gone otherwise she’d have been another in a long line of people trying to take it off you. Said one of the reasons she hid it is because everyone would’ve driven her nuts. Except you. She knew you’d never ask for money, and she said that’s another reason you deserved to have as much as she could leave.”
“I didn’t really think about what’d happen to her money,” Gigi said softly.
“She didn’t wanna spend it all on treatments that wouldn’t buy her that much more time. Said she’d rather leave more of it to you. She gave me an envelope for you.” She went inside and returned with a white envelope, which she set on the table. “It’s got the deed to her place. She said if you don’t wanna live there, sell it. Under no circumstances are you to let her brother live there. Besides the deed, it’s got information about her life insurance policy. Said it wasn’t a very big policy, but that’s yours, too. And the business card for her lawyer is in the envelope. Call him when you get back and he’ll make all the arrangements to have it all switched over. She told me to send the cremation bill to him, which I’ll do.”
Gigi’s widening eyes met mine.
I put my hand on top of hers.
“She leave me a letter?” she asked.
“I asked if she would. She said writing feelings down wasn’t her thing, more yours.”
“That’s very true,” Gigi said, wiping her moist eyes with a napkin.
I leaned over and kissed her forehead.
The phone rang inside the house, so Tammy excused herself.
I tugged on my girl’s hand and she climbed into my lap. I held her close.
“You okay?” I asked.
She nodded, sinking in closer.
“Let me get that,” I said and kissed her cheek, touching my tongue to it to get the rest of the blueberry off her face.
She looked up at me. “Wow,” she said.
“Yep.”
“I’m afraid to say it.”
“To say what?”
“Has my luck finally changed? First you. Then my songs and now no more money worries?”
“Karma’s finally payin’ you for all the shit you had to wade through, baby. Though that makes it sound like I think I’m your big reward. My ego ain’t that big.”
“You are, Jesse. I’d give the money and the opportunity for my music to be on the radio up if it meant I got to keep you.”
Warmth flooded me; I knew she wasn’t paying lip service. “Well good thing you don’t have to give anything up, G. And I’m goin’ nowhere unless you’re with me.”
***
We were back home.
My girl had been quiet. Reflective. In her head. I gave her that space but was there, close by in case she needed me.
This morning, before we left, she went down to the water with the old acoustic guitar Tammy’s late husband had. She wanted to be alone. She took her journal.
Three hours she sat on the swing strumming and jotting things down while I lounged on the patio with a paperback.
And when she came back up, for a minute I thought she looked lighter in her step, less pain on her face. When she got close, I could see her eyes were still sad. Still shrouded with pain.
We went into town for lunch before Tammy drove us to the airport. We walked around while Gigi talked about memories of when she and Kailey had come here. She showed me where she spread Kailey’s ashes and spent a few minutes there looking reflective.
Yesterday, we’d gone to the shore at Tammy’s, and she opened the box of Francie’s ashes after sitting down on the swing down there and quietly singing Dust in the Wind by Kansas while I played it on the guitar. Tammy couldn’t carry a tune very well, but she knew all the words and sang along. It was one of Francie’s favorite songs; they’d gone to a Kansas concert together twenty-odd years before. They spread the ashes together and then the three of us went back up to the house and I grilled steaks and potatoes for us while they reminisced some more.
When we got to the airport earlier today, Gigi promised we’d come back sometime. I liked the idea of taking the bike and traveling up here on it. Told her maybe the following summer. I was itching to get out exploring that area with my fishing rod. Tammy had a canoe and said we could come back, stay longer, and make use of it.