Chapter 27
SAMANTHA
Some of the branches might be drooping, but the Christmas tree still stood in the living room. Izzy had been firm about that. Incredibly sentimental about the tree, she’d take it down when she felt like it. “I can handle it,” she said. And Sam decided to let her do that on her own. Her baby sister had grown up.
Sitting on the sofa with her sisters, Sam hated to think about going home to Oak Brook. And yet she knew that things had to be done. Plans were forming in her head, and she was the only one who could handle all that. She may have come here to bail out Izzy. But now Sam realized that she was the one who’d needed a nudge to get on with her life.
“I need a new direction,” she mumbled.
“What did you say?” Marlowe was returning from the kitchen with what looked like a glass of the leftover eggnog.
“That looks good.” Suddenly Sam wanted some of that too. “I'll be right back.” But when she went to jump up, her left ankle protested.
“Here, take this one.” Marlowe handed over her own glass. “Let's remember that sprained ankle.”
The eggnog was rich and creamy with the right amount of nutmeg sprinkled on top. Perfect for a New Year's Eve. Izzy had tucked some prosecco into the refrigerator for midnight, if any of them were still awake.
Standing in the doorway, Marlowe looked over at their aunt. “How about you, Aunt Cate? Eggnog?”
Their aunt burrowed deeper into that wonderfully spacious chair, the blue snoopy blanket tucked up under her chin. “My waistline says no, but my heart is saying yes.”
With all the planning and cooking she'd done, Aunt Cate hadn’t seemed to put on any weight. With the exception of Marlowe, they had a couple of months to get back into shape. Winter clothes were great at hiding a bulge here or there. This blustery winter weather didn't feel like it was loosening its hold on them anytime soon.
Marlowe soon returned holding two glasses of eggnog and handed one to Aunt Cate. Content to slowly sip the creamy mixture, they all settled down. “Now where were we?” Sam asked, dabbing at an eggnog moustache.
“I think we need to think long term,” Aunt Cate began, setting her glass on the end table next to her. “Didn't we all agree that we felt Sunnycrest needed to be freshened up?”
“More than that, I think.” Marlowe swung her stockinged feet onto the coffee table. “When you talk about taking out a wall and enlarging a room, the project would be more than redecorating. I think we need an architect to help us.”
“You're so right,” Sam said. Marlowe probably ran into a lot of renovations in buying and selling real estate. “Since you are going to be contacting realtors here in Charlevoix, do you think you could also ask for some suggestions? Surely the other realtors know the architects active in this area.”
Like magic, their aunt brought out a yellow tablet and clicked open a ballpoint pen. The woman was a born organizer. She must have had the legal pad tucked down in the cushions. Although renovating Sunnycrest may at first have seemed like a pipe dream, Sam began to believe in that dream and so did her sisters. All of the family seemed set on making that dream come true.
“Where do we start?” Their aunt tapped the pen against the yellow pad. “Now let's see. We were talking about making the bedrooms upstairs into en suites, total update for the kitchen...”
“Oh my.” Isabel was getting nervous.
“Do you have any problems with that, sweetheart?” their aunt asked softly. They had to tread lightly because Isabel and the baby lived here.
Isabel cleared her throat. “I'm wondering how I'll feed Holly and keep her calm if a lot of renovation is going on.”
Their aunt drew a line dividing her pad into right and left. “Let's list that point under challenges.”
“You may need another place to stay during some of the work,” Marlowe said. “At least, that's what I saw with a friend of mine down in Naples. I don't see a way around it. We'll find a rental somewhere.”
But their sister had turned pale. “Don't worry, Izzy,” Sam told her. “You won't be here alone, figuring all that out.”
“So true,” their aunt piped up. “We're working on a master plan and I think we've agreed it would involve all of us. One of us will be here at all times. There's one thing I want to mention. I may be having surgery here. Minor surgery.”
What was this? Sam swung around to study her aunt. “How minor?”
“Not enough to worry about,” she said, maddeningly pert and not meeting anyone’s eyes. Aunt Cate could be exasperating and at that point she was doodling on the pad.
Sam knew that pressing her aunt wouldn't help at all. So she tried to take another route. “Is this what you were talking to Josh about during the open house?”
Aunt Cate nodded. “He’s been very helpful. You know, making suggestions.”
Sam wanted to throttle Josh with her bare hands. Why hadn’t he mentioned this to her during their lunch?
“I know what you’re thinking, Sam.” Her aunt was right on it. “I asked Josh not to say anything. I’m still figuring things out. Transferring my tests to the right doctors.”
“No worries. One of us will be with you at all times,” Marlowe said, nodding over at Sam.
Because Izzy looked like she might faint at any moment, Sam had to clarify things quickly. “That wouldn't be you, Izzy. But it might be me or Marlowe.”
“Right,” Marlowe nodded. “We can work out our schedules.”
Sam watched her baby sister visibly relax.
Aunt Cate leaned forward. “Look, my doctor in New York told me not to worry, so I’m not. And I don’t want you to worry either. If you’re going to be all uptight about this, well, I can stay in New York.”
“No,” they all said at once. “Absolutely not,” Sam added. “We’re family and as we’ve all agreed, we are here to help each other. No more isolating ourselves in a far off city.” Marlowe and Izzy both nodded.
Aunt Cate took another sip of her eggnog, settled back and said, “I am really liking how this is shaping up. I've done some research, and I've been assured that this will be minor.”
Suspicion curled around Sam's heart and squeezed. “And who has been helping you with your research?” Sam figured she already knew the answer to that question.
Their aunt looked decidedly happy with herself. “Dr. McCall, of course. Sam’s Josh.”
“He’s not mine. Not by a long shot.” Sam had to speak up. No way would she admit that she couldn’t get that kiss out of her mind. And that Josh had texted her every day.
“Dr. McCall said he’d help me in any way. He knows a lot of the specialists here.” Her aunt seemed to delight in giving Josh his full title.
With the glass of eggnog tipped to her lips, Sam discovered that she’d ended up with the foamy stuffy in her nose.
“Napkin, napkin,” Izzy said with a laugh, grabbing one from the coffee table and handing it to Sam. She wondered what other conniving Aunt Cate had been doing.
No one had any problems with any course of action Aunt Cate decided on. Processing this new information, they all nodded as plans unfolded. Excitement percolated in the room, as encouraging as Christmas Day coffee had been. Their mother would have wanted to be there for her sister. That couldn’t happen so they would step in, whatever the situation.
“So Aunt Cate will be looking into her surgery.” Sam still had to wrap her mind around that one. “Marlowe will be checking on an architect who could guide the Sunnycrest renovation. I'll be looking at my workload to assure that I can handle my accounts working from up here. And I am evaluating my current home. It’s so darn big.” At this point she didn't know what she was going to do or where she would go. But she was not keeping that house where her marriage had fallen apart.
“This is going to be great.” Izzy was obviously bubbling over. “You don't know how nice it will be to have my family around me.”
“Oh yes I do.” Marlowe’s eyes sparkled. “I feel the same way.”
“Me too.” This group planning felt as comforting as their Christmas blankets. Whatever came their way, they would be there for each other. This holiday had brought them together in a way they could not have imagined two weeks ago.
“One more thing,” Izzy said. “I have Holly scheduled for daycare three days a week this coming year. One of the other mothers was telling me that being around other children could help with Holly's socialization. Although I love you dearly, I don't want her to only spend time with adults. She has to learn to share. Stuff like that.”
“That makes sense,” Marlowe said. “I’m learning so much from you.”
“Maybe we'll all learn together.” Izzy said. “I'm not giving up on you guys giving Holly some cousins.”
When Marlowe rolled her eyes at Sam, she snorted. But let Izzy have her dream. There would be plenty of other ways to find playmates for Holly. Daycare was a good start.
“And I should also mention,” their aunt began. What now? Sam's mind was buzzing. So much had been talked about. All three of them turned their attention to whatever it was Aunt Cate was going to say next. “As I mentioned earlier I want to put my Tribeca condominium on the market. I have no idea how quickly it will sell. I think I'm going to keep a small apartment in New York but I also plan to establish a bank account here in Charlevoix. We will all have access to the account for these expenses. And Izzy, if you want to tap that for Holly’s daycare that would be fine with me.”
This time Sam was not going to be outdone by her aunt. She was not a child anymore. Despite the crushing setback of her divorce, she was a professional woman who’d met with considerable success. “And I'll be contributing to that fund too.”
“As will I,” Marlowe said. The two sisters nodded at each other.
“You guys are going to make me cry.” When Izzy sprang up and dashed from the room, Sam thought her sister had retreated to the kitchen to dry her eyes and get it together. This whole thing must be a little overwhelming. But when Izzy returned five minutes later holding a tray with sparkling flutes of prosecco, Sam glanced at the clock.
“Looks like we are going to celebrate a new year with lots of new beginnings.” Hope shivered through her and Sam took her flute with a firm hand. She may have come to Charlevoix devastated by the past year but ready to help her baby sister, but this Christmas had done way more than that. Hope glimmered on the horizon along with so many exciting possibilities. Sam meant to follow through and she saw the same determination building around her.
“To exciting changes in the new year!” Smiles glowing, they raised their glasses.
***
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