“Promise what?”
“She knew, you see,” He rambles, “If you were here, she knew it would be for a reason.”
“I’m sorry, Calvin,” I reach for his wrist to try and bring his attention back to me, “I’m not following.”
“She told me you had two paths, Marly.” He turns his dark eyes on me, full of sorrow and hope, a combination I didn’t expect to see and yet it guts me, “You chose the path to bring you here, however that may have come. I have something for you.”
I don’t get a chance to respond before he’s heading for the door, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I don’t know where Sadie and River went and the house turns quiet, not even a clock is ticking.
Calvin comes back not a few minutes later holding a thick envelope with my name scrawled across the front. I could recognize that handwriting anywhere, it’s in every birthday card and gift tag I’ve kept from over the years.
My grandmother.
“She left this with me, told me to keep it safe until I met you and made me promise to give it to you if it ever did happen.”
“What is it?” I take the folder from him.
“I don’t know, Marly,” Calvin answers, “But she asked me to tell you to keep it a secret until you know what to do with it, she said you would know.”
My grandmother didn’t leave anything to me when she died, not that I wanted her to, so it’s a surprise to hold this in my arms. I cradle it to my chest.
“She trusted you,” I state.
“We were friends Marly,” Calvin sighs, “I would have trusted her with my life too.”
“Thank you,” I breathe, desperate to open the file but knowing she would want me to do so alone. I slide the folder into my purse and turn back to Calvin, wanting to know more about my grandmother.
He tells me so many stories, of their time together, what they did, what they talked about and by the time River tells me it’s time to go, I feel like I know her more than I did before.
Chapter Thirty-six
River follows me back to my place after we spent the day at Sadie’s. I spoke with Calvin for the majority of the time, talking about my grandmother and listening to the stories he could give me of her. River never asked questions though I saw from his face that he was curious.
“I’ll see you later?” I ask, closing the gap between us after I climb out the car.
“We have a race,” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, “I expect my good luck charm in the front seat.”
I can’t help it, my face breaks out into a wide smile, “I’ll try get to you around eight?” I pose it as a question.
“Sure, princess,” He answers, leaning in to kiss me, making it quick and chaste since we aren’t hidden here.
His hand holds me until I step from his grip and climb back into my car, watching him in my rear-view mirror until he’s just a spot in the reflection and I have to turn the corner, leaving him behind. It gets harder and harder when we part, especially sinceit feels as if the next time it happens, it’ll be the last time. I’m just not ready to let him go.
The gates open as I pull my car up to them and then I drive through, spotting both my brother’s car and my parents parked out front. It almost makes me hesitate, there’s still supposed to be a day before they get back.
Bringing my car to a stop beside theirs, I turn off the engine and climb out, grabbing my purse and holding it close to me as I walk into the house.
It no longer feels like home, just a place I stay, and the feeling weighs me down.
“Hello?” I call.
“Please come here, Marly,” My father’s stern tone draws me toward the main living room where I find them seated on the large black leather sectional sofas, my brother, father and mother all seated on separate couches.
“Your brother tells me you threw a tantrum at dinner last night,” My father starts with. No hello, how are you, straight to the point with a stern face and a cup of coffee in his hand.
“It’s wrong,” I reply, deciding to give them the same treatment, the courage to do so building from an unknown source deep inside of me. I am done. I’m done being a doormat, done being their little wild card and the good girl they expect me to be. I am a human, with a conscience and morals. I cannot get behind what they want to do even if River believes it’ll all blow over. I will not sit willfully at the sidelines as these people,my family, keep shitting on people.
“Do not think yourself educated enough to have an opinion, Marly,” My mother snaps.
