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“Make what right?”
“Everything, my father wasn’t the only person he hurt. But…I don’t want to talk about the past – not now. I want to know how you are. How was the refugee camp?”
I love that she remembered and that makes talking about it less burdensome. “It was hard, and I was so ready to leave. But I signed up for an extra month because they need so much help.”
“And because you love a challenge,” she teases
“That I do.” And I love you, too. The thought comes unbidden. And I’m glad we’re not on FaceTime, so she can’t see the panic that freezes my face for a second.
“I’m so glad you’re making the most of your time there… and I’m learning to love challenges again, too…” she trails off.
“Don’t be cryptic, Regan,” I scold.
“Don’t be impatient, Stone,” she shoots back. And we laugh at the same time. Just like that, our grooves click into place and that knot is finally loose again.
“Okay, I had an idea, and at first, I thought it was crazy… but it’s actually happening.”
“Spill it, Goddess,”
She squeals. “Okay, okay. Last week, I took a large chunk of my inheritance and bought a property in West Houston that used to be a boarding school. And I’m going to turn it into a transitional housing space, with a community center, and courses, and counseling, and even, eventually, a fully functioning outpatient clinic on sight. And guess what?” She gasps, breathless with giddiness, but doesn’t pause long enough for me to speak. “I’m going to call it Venus Rising. After the goddess who inspired me so much.” She sounds like a game show host announcing that I won the grand prize.
I certainly feel like I’ve won something. “Regan. That’s incredible, I’m so proud of you.”
She lets out a shuddering breath. “Thank you for the inspiration. And I can’t wait to show you everything. It all needs updating, and I’m having three newly constructed buildings added to the property.”
“So, are you and Marcel funding it completely? Or are you raising money?” It’s a sly move to get the information that’s foremost on my mind. If she can sense that I’m fishing, she doesn’t call me out for it.
“There is no Marcel and me And soon not in any sense at all. I… met with my lawyer a couple of days ago.” She says the words in a rush and I hear them before they sink in.
“Oh…so, like a divorce lawyer?” I’m almost afraid to ask and hold my breath when she takes a second to answer.
She laughs softly. “Yes. A divorce lawyer. Like you said, no reason to stay is a good reason to go. My children are the only reason I’ve been holding it together and I don’t think, no I know that it’s not what’s best for them anymore. So, I’m doing it.”
“Wow, are you okay?”
“I’m great.” And she sounds it. Relief and motivation are twin fires lighting in my mind at the same time.
“Yes. Of course, you are. So, what next?” I rub my hands together in anticipation.
“Well…I’ve got to get my finances in order so I can figure out how to pay for my project.” Her emphasis on the last word is tinged with light rebuke.
I check my excitement at her divorce. Getting a divorce doesn’t mean anything. Her marriage was the least of my worries. I know Regan wants to hit a reset button on other parts of her life. Talking about us, right now, would be premature. She read my letters, so she knows how I feel.
“Oh yeah, tell me more.”
“So, I have a trust fund that vested when I was thirty, and I used some of it to buy the property out right.”
“But years of fundraising for other people’s good deeds was good practice. I paid for the property out right, but I’ve created a non-profit, with a board of directors, to oversee staffing and programming and to help me raise money.”
“Who’s on the board so far?”
“Matty, my mother, and Tyson, if I get him to sit down long enough to sign everything.”
“Save a spot for me. I want to help.”
She shrieks. “Really? Oh, I’m so glad. You can be on the board, or just brainstorm, or help me think through the clinic. Whatever you want to do.”
“All of it, Venus. I want to do it all.”
