Chapter Sixteen - Lu
Chapter Sixteen
Lu
T he Uber driver pulled into the circular drive. Lu gazed at the minimansion, perched atop a lush hillside. Tall palm trees stood on each side of the house, and in the immediate distance were mountainous cliffs. The beautiful view had to be the property’s greatest selling point.
Zach gave her hand a tight squeeze. She looked at him for reassurance, and he gave it to her. “Let’s do this.”
She raised an eyebrow, gave him a grateful smile, and inhaled. “I’m ready.”
She opened her door and stepped out of the back seat of the sedan. She led the way to the front door, rang the bell. She was greeted with a cheerful smile.
“Hey,” John Jr. exclaimed. “You made it.”
“Yes.”
“Well, come on in.” He stepped aside to allow Lu and Zach to enter. “Dad is in his favorite place, the back patio.”
“Okay.”
“Can I get you something to drink: water, soda, beer? Whiskey?” He chuckled.
“Water would be nice.” Lu chuckled, too.
“I’ll take a beer,” said Zach.
“Y’all might need that whiskey in a little bit, so I’ll just keep it on chill.” John Jr. handed Lu a bottle of water and Zach a Budweiser.
Lu looked around at the massive living room in her father’s home, with its thoughtful art on the walls and pieces of antique furniture that would cause Kenya and Natalia to swoon. It seemed John Samuels’s wife was quite the decorator. Lillian Samuels was conservative, easygoing, refined—everything her mother, Yana, was not. Lu found the stark differences between the two women quite fascinating. It further drove home Lu’s point that John wanted the best of both worlds, and unapologetically.
Her final day in Sacramento hadn’t come too soon. She had accomplished what she’d come there for— answers . Though not the most favorable ones, they were answers nonetheless. She’d almost abandoned the mission a few times but stayed the course. Now she needed to tackle all she’d learned and confront her mother. But first, she needed to say goodbye to John Samuels—a man she’d just become acquainted with, a father that she wasn’t sure how long she’d have in her life—who’d been sent home from the hospital because they’d done all they could for him. Home was where he wanted to live out the remainder of his days, for as long as that would be. And home was where Lu needed to return to—her own life. She needed to return to Lu’s Seaside Inn.
She found John on the back patio of the home, relaxing in a lounger with a clear view of the cliffs. He beamed at the sight of her. Up until that moment she’d only heard about fathers looking at their daughters that way. She’d heard that a woman’s early relationship with her father shaped how she viewed the world, and the way he looked at her, and the gentleness of how he spoke and treated her was surprising, even foreign to her. He seemed to genuinely love her, although he didn’t know her at all.
“I see that you found your way here. Welcome to my home.”
“Thank you. It’s a beautiful home.”
“I’m sorry I can’t take the credit for its beauty. Lillian is quite the homemaker. She deserves all the credit.” John went into a coughing spell and then regained his composure. “Have a seat.”
“Hello, sir.” Zach offered John a respectful nod before plopping down into the cushioned lawn chair.
“I need to find the restroom,” Lu told them.
“It’s just inside the doorway and to your left.” John slowly lifted his frail hand and pointed in the direction of the door.
Lu stepped inside the house and made her way down the hallway to the restroom. Framed photos hung in the hallway on the light gray wall, and she stopped to observe them. She immediately focused on the photo of a young John Samuels in his Navy uniform—only this time it wasn’t her mother whose waist he held on to—it was his wife, Lillian’s. The photo to the left was a family photo—John, Lillian, and their three young children—a family that didn’t include her. She stared for a moment.
“I had to be like five in that photo,” the voice behind her startled her.
She turned and locked eyes with Milan.
“Relax. I’m not going to bite.” She was much less acrimonious this time. “I realize I behaved badly the other day. It’s my father I’m angry with, not you.”
“He was so young. They were all young.” Lu found herself attempting to protect their father, and her mother.
“Your mother knew what she was getting into. She knew that he had a family in the States, yet she persisted.”
“She was a very . . . young woman. And she was poor.”
“So, she saw my father as a meal ticket, a way out?”
“What would you have done?” Lu looked upon Milan, struck a defensive stance, hands on her hips.
“I never would have found myself in that situation.”
“Never say never.” Lu removed her hands from her hips and turned back to look at the photos.
“I’m saying never . I don’t think I can ever forgive my father. My entire life has been a lie. All this time I looked up to him, held him in high regard. And now I can’t even look at him. I haven’t spoken to him since I left the hospital that day.”
“Didn’t you know before now? About me?” Lu faced Milan again.
“Of course I knew you existed, but I thought you were older than me. Thought you were born before my parents were married. I didn’t realize that I am the oldest.”
“He’s the same man that you’ve always known. You’ve had him all your life. It’s me who hasn’t had my father. It’s me who should be angry. He chose you—his family.” Lu restrained the tears. The lump in her throat nearly choked her as she made her way to the bathroom, stood in the doorway, and looked back at Milan. “I’ve forgiven him for being absent. I don’t like that he wasn’t there, but I’ve forgiven him. I think if you search your heart, you’ll find a way to forgive him, too . . . before it’s too late.”
Milan opened her mouth to say something, but Lu didn’t give her the opportunity. She shut the bathroom door, stood on the other side, and breathed in deeply. Her hands shook, her heart beat rapidly. Before that moment, she hadn’t realized that she had, in fact, forgiven him, but she had. Now she wondered if she could forgive Yana.
She returned to the patio and Zach telling John and John Jr. about what he did for a living, about the hospital where he saved lives every single day. She sat in a patio chair across from her father, stole glances at him—his face, his hair, even observed his hands. Somehow, she wanted to remember this time, as she was sure it would be something that she’d reflect on. She wanted to take in her last moments with John before returning to New Jersey. She sipped her bottled water, a half-smile in the corner of her mouth. She was happy she’d made the journey. Her trip had not been in vain.
* * *
As the Boeing airplane soared through the clouds, Lu rested her back against the leather seat. Earbuds in her ears, she leaned her head against Zach’s shoulder. She watched as the flight attendant handed other passengers their pretzels and took drinks orders. She didn’t want anything, just wanted to be left alone with her thoughts. She wanted to compartmentalize everything that had taken place over the past several days—place everything into their respective buckets of information. Lu also wanted to revisit all the conversations she’d had. She needed to fully understand all that she’d learned, as well as sort through her emotions. She didn’t know if she would ever see John Samuels again. She hoped she would. In fact, the thought of him dying before she would get the chance shook her to her very core.
She closed her eyes tightly and wished the thought of it away.