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“Then let’s get to work.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lucy
Ilistentoanaudiobook on the way to the beach because silence is way too depressing and I don’t feel like listening to music. I need to not think for a while, and the only way to do that is to escape into another world for a little while. That’s what I love about reading, you can be alone without feeling lonely.
I only make one stop on the, almost, three hour drive, and that’s only because I chugged an iced latte before I left and really had to pee. By the time I drive over the second bridge, officially putting me on the island, my hands are tight on the steering wheel and I feel nauseous. I shouldn’t have done this alone. I should’ve waited.
It’s dark, and I can’t decide if I’m grateful for that or not. It’s funny, the last time I came here was last summer. I spent the majority of the two weeks studying. I had decided to take two summer classes so I could potentially have enough credits to graduate a few months early. I remember Dad asking me so many times if I wanted to come fishing with him, or to sit and read on the beach with him. And I turned him down almost every time.
You never think the last time will be the last time. You think you’ll have tomorrow, or the next day. And then tomorrow doesn’t come.
It’s almost seven o’clock. The realty company normally closes at six-thirty, but I called Amanda, Dad’s personal agent, and she agreed to wait around for me. I pull into the parking lot, take a deep breath, and get out of the car.
Amanda sees me walk in from her small office on the right and gives me a little wave. She’s short, and around the same age as my mom. Her blonde hair is graying, and she has readers hanging from her neck, but she looks the same as she always does.
“Lucy, honey, how are you?” She pulls me to her in a chest-cracking hug.
She’s small, but geez is she strong.
“Hey, Amanda. I’m doing fine, how about you? How’s John and the kids?”
Amanda’s smile brightens at the mention of her husband and children. She shows me a picture of her newest grandchild, and another of her youngest daughter and new son-in-law on their wedding day. Then one more of her and husband, John, on a cruise to the Caribbean.
“Alright, enough about me. Sit down, and we’ll start discussing what your options are.”
“My options? I didn’t realize I had options. I thought I was just coming down here to go over the documents for the repairs.”
Amanda sighs and sits down on the edge of her desk in front of me, folding her hands in her lap.
“Well, that’s one option, yes. Or you could sell.”
“No.”
“Lucy . . .”
“I said, no.”
“I just think you should consider the possibility . . .”
I stand and shake my head. “You knew my dad, Amanda. You knew how much that house meant to him, how much he loved it. I’m not selling. And there’s no way you can make me.”
“I’m not trying to make you do anything, sweetie. But you’re young, and you’re not local. If you keep the house, you’re going to have a lifetime of paperwork and documents like these to sign. Now, granted, after this initial signing the majority of this can be done electronically. Or, you could sell, and set yourself up very nicely. You could buy your own place back home, closer to your mother. You could . . .”
“I’m not selling, Amanda. Please respect that.” I feel the tears stinging behind my eyes and I bite my lip.
I don’t want to cry here. I don’t want to cry at all.
Amanda holds hands up and nods, approaching me like I’m a wild animal who could bolt at any second.
“Okay,” she says softly, “I hear you. Where’s your mom, did she come with you?”
I shake my head. “No. I came alone.”
I see the surprise in her eyes, even if she recovers quickly. “Oh, I see. Alright, well, let’s get to signing. Then we’ll go to the house, does that work?”
“Yeah, okay. Amanda?”
