“I’m not sure I can be friends with him. I figured I would only see him this week and possibly here and there when I came back into town to visit my aunt. I didn’t anticipate having two months around him.”
“Stop panicking. It’ll be fine. Just because you’ll be nearby doesn’t mean you have to spend all your free time with the man. And I planned on you being out of the office for the rest of the week anyway. By the time you have to come back here for work, you’ll be settled.”
“I guess,” Samira hesitated.
“Come on. I’ll help you pack,” Andrea offered.
“You don’t have to do that. I’m a big girl. Plus, what am I going to do if she won’t agree to me living both places, lie and hope she doesn’t contest anything when it comes time to sign the final papers?”
“Worry about it if it comes down to it, but I think she’ll agree. Come on! We’ll make it a girls’ night. We’ll have some drinks, play music, and pack. It can be a sendoff. Then tomorrow you can head over there, get situated, and work it all out.”
“Okay. Let’s go,” Samira reluctantly agreed. “You’re entirely too cheerful about this, but you’re right. Let’s make the best out of it. In two months, I’ll have the house sold and then we can really celebrate.”
***
Andy was surprised to see his mother sitting in a chair on his deck when he returned from his walk on the beach. He didn’t bring his phone with him when he went on walks to clear hishead. If anyone had been trying to reach him, he had no idea. His first thought was that something happened to his father.
“Is Dad okay?” he asked his mother as soon as he reached the deck.
“Yes, he’s fine. I just saw him today.”
“Are you okay?” he asked as he sat down across from her.
“I’m fine. Mary called me today in a panic,” she began to explain. “She’s all upset, and I didn’t know how to help her.”
“What happened?” Andy asked with increasing alarm.
“It’s Samira. She found out that she has to stay in her parents’ house for two months before she can either sell it or sign the final papers to keep it. Apparently, she didn’t take the news well. She got pretty upset and then left yesterday. She won’t answer her phone, and her aunt is worried she’s gone just like she was fifteen years ago.”
Andy studied his mom for a moment while he tried to connect the dots. “Why was she so upset? It has to be more than just staying in her old house.”
“Mary and Brian set those conditions, but Mary didn’t tell her. The lawyer had to tell her about it.”
Andy couldn’t hold back the rush of anger. “What’s with people around here keeping everything such a goddamn secret? She’s just now after fifteen years trying to work through everything and move on from the way things were left. Did Mary think it was a good idea to let a stranger tell her that she has to stay in her childhood home? Good grief.”
Elizabeth seemed surprised by his reaction. “Getting upset won’t help anything, Andy.”
“What do you want me to do? I can’t fix this for Mary.”
“We thought maybe you could call her or something. Mary is worried sick,” Elizabeth suggested.
“I can’t call her, Mom. If she didn’t answer for her aunt, she isn’t going to answer for me. We only texted each other the one time to confirm the Labor Day plans.”
Andy tried to work through what his mother told him. Just in the small amount of time he had spent with Samira recently, he knew what her reaction would be to that surprise. She would feel blindsided and betrayed by the one person she felt close to. He had to be there for her.
“I haven’t had a shower yet. After I shower and get dressed, I guess I can stop over and see if she’s there. If she’s back, I’ll see if she needs me to give her a hand with anything. I still can’t believe Mary let that lawyer spring that on her like that.”
Andy said goodbye to his mother then headed inside. He wasn’t there for Samira fifteen years ago, but he would be there for her now. He wouldn’t let her face this alone the way she faced everything when she left town. There would be no shutting him out this time.
He worked out a plan while he took his shower. There had to be a way to be there for her without scaring her away. He had come to realize that she kept up her tough exterior so that she wouldn’t break. She didn’t leave town, never to return, because she was cold; she did it to protect herself. He would find a way to help her.
Chapter 5
Samira placed the key in the lock and turned it until she felt it click. With a deep breath, she opened the heavy red door at the front of the house. She was surprised to find it still had the same scent.
She stepped the rest of the way in and closed the door behind her. For being empty for so many years, it was in good condition. When her aunt first told her that she would be inheriting the property, she mentioned she had been going by regularly to dust and make sure the house was in good shape. There were no spider webs. It appeared clean. The furniture had been covered in sheets, but even the sheets were in good condition.
She made her way through the house to check everything out. The house was large for the island. It had five bedrooms and four bathrooms. It didn’t start out quite that large, but her parents had added on to it. Her mother wanted to turn it into a bed and breakfast, but her life had been cut short before that could happen.
