AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You want a dog?” I asked with a grin.
“Not right now, but if I got one, I’d want it to be just like Baxter.”
“He is a good boy,” I agreed. “You seem like you know him.”
“We’ve met,” Dee replied before dropping into the lounge chair next to me.
“Wine?”
“Is that whine with an h or wine without?”
“Wine, without an h, but feel free to unload on me if you need an ear.” I poured a second glass of wine and passed it to her. “Cheers.”
Dee lifted her glass in an air salute and then took a long gulp.
“Thirsty much?” I asked with a questioning lift of my eyebrow.
“High alcohol tolerance,” Dee said.
“Those good old college years finally paying off.”
She laughed.
“Seriously, Dee, why so stressed out?”
Dee sighed and refilled her glass. “I’m worried about your neighbor.”
“Lillian or Zack?”
Dee lifted her glass in a mocking salute. “Excellent question. I was thinking of Lillian, but if you want to talk about Zack first, I’m all ears.”
I smiled. “We’ll stick with Lillian for now. What’s up?”
“Right.” Dee set her glass on the side table and lifted her enormous leather tote bag onto the chair. “Did you know Lillian was one of my clients?”
I thought about her question as I watched Baxter roll and chase an inflatable ball around in the grass. “I guess I’m not all that surprised. You do have a reputation for dealing with large estates and foundations. When did Lillian come to you?”
“About eighteen months ago or so. She wanted to set up a trust and make sure if anything happened to her that Baxter would be taken care of.”
“She does love that dog.”
We both watched him play.
“It’s hard not to get attached to him,” I said. “He a charmer.
“Lillian agrees.” Dee pulled a three-ring notebook from her bag. “One of her requests was to have you read these papers when I thought the time was right. Since she’s been healthy and active, and has continued to travel often, I never felt the time was right. But after last night, I think it’s time.” She held up the binder. “This is her medical power of attorney and her financial power of attorney should she become incapacitated. Those are the two things I want you to read. The rest of the paperwork details her trust and the distribution of her funds at her death.”
I took the notebook and flipped to the tab for Medical Power of Attorney, followed by the tab labeled Financial Power of Attorney. I was surprised Lillian had added me to both of these since we’d only known each other for about three years. But we’d become very close. Still, it was sobering to realize how alone Lillian was in the world with only a grandson, and nobody knew where he was. As an attorney myself, I took this responsibility seriously.
“Have you notified the hospital about the medical POA?” I asked.
Dee nodded. “I faxed that over as soon as I heard about Lillian.”
“And you didn’t think I needed to know this before now?”
“You did, yes, but Lillian didn’t want you burdened with extra responsibilities unless it became unavoidable. That woman has an independent streak a mile wide. I did speak with Brooke and asked her to check on Lillian. While she couldn’t go into the specifics because of HIPPA laws and patient confidentiality, she did say that, in her medical opinion, Lillian’s treatment thus far has been exactly what she would’ve recommended, so there have been no medical situations that would require your attention.”
“What about her Medicare coverage? Her supplemental coverage? Should I go to the hospital with those tomorrow?”
