And just like I said to Douglass, I repeat the same thing to Natalie.
“It matters to me.” I reach over and take her hand. “Thank you for telling me. I’m glad she had you in her life to love her.”
Natalie gives my hand a squeeze. “You were her greatest gift. She loved you with everything she had. And I am so proud I got to experience that as well. I loved you like my own, Jordan. I’m so sorry about what happened with Amelia.”
My throat tightens, and I choke up. “I should’ve come to see you. I know it’s not an excuse, but I was in a bad place for a while.”
She pats my hand. “I know, honey. I knew you’d come around when you were ready.” She smiles a solemn smile.
I lean forward, clasped hands resting atop my thighs. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
Natalie picks up her iced tea, her trembling hand unsteady when she lifts it. “Of course.”
She brings the shaky glass to her lips and sips delicately, then politely waves me off when I ask if she’s okay. The liquid sloshes over the lip of the glass as she puts it down.
“Just getting old. What was your question?”
“Why didn’t Mom ask you to move into the Hammond Estate or leave you any money in her will?”
I don’t mean for it to come out sounding so brusque, but I didn’t know how else to phrase it. Mom, Grandpa Jack, and I were the only ones living in the huge estate. So it doesn’t make sense to me why Mom wouldn’t have asked Natalie to come live with us, especially since they were in a long-term relationship. I guess that wasn’t an option since Nat had Amelia and Douglass to look after.
Which brings me to why Mom didn’t bequeath Nat anything. Natalie shouldn’t have to struggle financially. She shouldn’t have to live in a house of disrepair or not be able to afford to send Douglass to college.
“Oh, she asked about both. Plenty of times. But I’m stubborn and independent. Two qualities that drove her nuts.” She glances around her as if she’s taking in just how badly a state her house is in. “I know this place is a mess, but it’smymess. Something that is all mine, if that makes sense. It’s also sentimental since it’s my childhood home and where I raised Douglass and Amelia. It’s going to be hard to leave it.”
“Leave it? You’re selling?”
“I am. After I get back from my trip. Going to visit Europe. I’ve always wanted to see Paris.” She sips her iced tea, her eyes dreamy.
“That sounds nice. How long will you be gone?”
“A month. Douglass is going to housesit for me and help get things in order while I’m away.”
A month. Four short weeks before Douglass disappears again.
“When are you leaving?”
“In two weeks,” Nat replies.
So, Douglass will be around for six weeks, not four.
“Is Douglass planning on sticking around after that?”
Natalie’s sage, shrewd look tells me she knows what I’m up to.
“You’ll have to ask her. People tend to stick around when they’re given a reason to.”
I don’t want to ask because I couldn’t give one single shit, but I do anyway. “How is Amelia?”
Natalie huffs out a laugh. “A bigger mess than this house. But that girl has always invited trouble her whole life. I think that’s why I try too hard with her. Give too much and make too many excuses for her behavior. When I lost my sister, I made the mistake of overcompensating when it came to Amelia since she was the oldest. Don’t get me wrong. I love my niece. But there are a lot of times I don’t like her. And as awful as it sounds, I’m glad you both never married. You deserve better. I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to finally come to your senses and start sniffing around Douglass.”
I don’t know how many times I’m going to be struck speechless tonight. I suck in air so fast, I start coughing.
“What?”
“The walls are paper thin, sweetie,” she replies.
I look over my shoulder, half expecting Douglass to come storming out, lit like a firecracker and demanding to know why I’m still here.
