Chapter 39
Frankie settled into her spot on the couch with her laptop, her drawing tablet, and the special pen that went with it. Harper was looking through the streaming services for something to watch. Archie, snoozing between them, hadn’t moved.
Harper had the remote aimed at the screen. “How about 13 Going On 30? That’s a classic.”
Frankie nodded. “That’s a good one. Been a while since I’ve seen it, too. I’m in.”
“Done.” Harper pressed Play.
Frankie set the tablet and pen next to her and opened her laptop. She’d been so occupied today she hadn’t checked email. She could have done it on her phone but she didn’t like responding to email that way, so she usually waited until she could access her computer.
She opened her inbox and saw that Shar had sent another email about meeting.
Frankie stared at it. Should she tell Harper about it and read it out loud so they could both hear it at the same time? Or read it herself first and see if it was good news or bad news?
Her finger hovered over the touch pad. This was her undertaking, which meant she was responsible for how it all turned out. Better that she read the email and then make a decision. If it was bad news, she’d respond to Shar and see if she could change her mind.
She tapped the touch pad to read the email as the movie opening played.
Great to hear from you, Frances. I can’t wait to see you and your sister again. I miss you both so much. I know I’ve already said it but I’m thrilled you found me. I have someone who’s willing to drive me to Florida. If you give me your address, I’ll see if I can find a reasonable place to stay. I don’t have a lot of extra money, but I’ll make this trip work. It’s worth anything to see my girls.
Frankie didn’t want to give her the address. Not the real one, anyway. As much as she wanted to meet Shar and hear her story, she didn’t know the woman. Giving her this address could lead Shar to believe that they were well off.
The last thing Frankie wanted was for Shar to think the children she’d given up had become wealthy, and for her to come with her hand out. It seemed like a possibility, since Shar had already mentioned money.
Although Frankie had been pretty upfront about how broke she was, too. Did that kind of candor come from her birth mother?
Regardless, Harper would flip if Shar thought meeting them would result in some kind of financial windfall. Frankie would flip, but not to the extent Harper would. For Harper, it would be the end of everything.
She glanced over at her sister, who was laughing at the movie, the light from the television reflected on her face.
Maybe this hadn’t been such a hot idea. Maybe she should have done this research on her own and met with Shar by herself. Let Shar think she had no idea what had happened to her sister. But that was dishonest, and Frankie didn’t want to go that route. It felt like a bad way to start things off.
She decided not to answer Shar right away. Instead, she’d spend tomorrow morning researching the area and finding a place for them to meet. Not here. There was no way she’d invite Shar here.
Harper wouldn’t go for it and Frankie knew it was a bad idea.
She’d find a nearby park or maybe a little restaurant. They could have coffee and pie and just chat. Meeting at a neutral location seemed like the best plan. And if things didn’t go well, Frankie and Harper could leave and never look back. The only contact Shar would have was Frankie’s email and if Frankie needed to, she could block Shar.
Of course, that wasn’t the outcome she was hoping for. She was hoping that Shar would give them the truth about what happened, some kind of reasonable explanation. And that, ultimately, they’d be able to bring her back into their lives.
She knew it was a long shot, but it was definitely a possibility.
She also couldn’t help but wonder if there were other siblings. Obviously, Harper didn’t care. She’d said as much. But Harper didn’t have children of her own, and Frankie knew that her son and daughter would be interested in knowing if they had more family. She certainly was.
Her kids were a big part of why she was doing this. To give them some history. Their own history.
“Hey, you paying attention or are you lost in your own little artistic world?”
Frankie shut down her email program and looked up. “Sorry. Got caught up in some emails. I haven’t even started the logos.”
Harper rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “And your champagne is getting warm.”
“Can’t have that.” Frankie picked up her glass and took a sip. It really was good. Having money actually did buy happiness, at least in small amounts. She set the glass down and closed the laptop, watching the movie for a bit before turning on her tablet. She took her pen in hand and did a few preliminary sketches.
Lucas’s initials of LP paired nicely together. She configured them in several ways and incorporated a few different elements, like a fork and a knife in one and another with fruits and veggies.
She’d work a little, watch a stretch of the movie, then come back and refine her designs some more. She did some in black and white, a few others in color, and the one she liked best, with the knife and fork, she created with a metallic effect so that the letters looked like burnished silver.
That was her favorite so far. But logos weren’t her thing. Lucas might not like any of these.
She really wanted to help him out. Not only because she liked him, but this might be a whole new source of revenue for her. She’d never thought about doing logos, but it was definitely a service she could offer.
At last, satisfied with what she’d done, she set her tablet aside and focused on the movie. She’d look at everything again in the morning and try to come up with a few more ideas for him. She already knew a good night’s sleep would help her creative mind. It always did.
Tomorrow, she’d get Harper’s opinion on them, too. If she was so good at giving unbiased, truthful advice to celebrities, maybe she could give some to her sister.
They polished off the rest of the champagne, then paused the movie so Harper could make dinner. They ate that while they finished the movie, then watched an episode of a home decorating show. When that was done, they decided to go to bed. Frankie gathered up her things and went upstairs.
As she was getting ready for bed, her daughter, Willa, texted.
Do you ever feel like there’s no purpose to what you’re doing?
Frankie sat on the bed. Sure, who doesn’t? Maybe you need a break. You work awfully hard.
I don’t have a choice. Getting a PhD is hard work.
That’s for sure. But you’re not at school right now so what’s got you thinking about this?
There was no immediate answer, so Frankie got up and brushed her teeth. When she came back, Willa had responded.
Is it too late to call? Too much to text.
I’ll call you right now. Frankie climbed under the covers and tapped Willa’s name in her contact list.
Willa picked up before Frankie even heard it ring on her side. “Hi, Mom. Thanks for calling.”
“Of course, honey. What’s going on? What’s got you feeling this way? Did something happen?”
Willa sighed. “It’s nothing that happened. I did this to myself. Just feeling like I’m never going to be done with school and then about how long it’s going to take me to pay back these loans and if what I’m doing even matters. I’ve seen so many teachers on TikTok and Instagram talking about how the students just don’t care. How they’re disrespectful and unruly and, honestly, just awful. Like there’s no way to maintain any kind of order. Mom, if I end up with kids like that, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I want to teach, not babysit.”
Frankie nodded. “I’ve seen those videos, too, but I can tell you not every school is like that. Mine isn’t.”
“Yeah, but you’re at an arts school. Those kids are different. They want to be there. They know going there is something special. I have no idea where I’ll end up. And what those kids will be like. It’s got me rethinking everything I thought I wanted. Not to mention, teachers don’t make squat.”
“But you’ve always wanted to be a principal.”
“I do, but that’s not a job I’m going to walk into. I have to put time in first. That’s what you did. And you’re still just an assistant. I don’t mean anything bad by that, you have a great job, but you know what I’m saying.”
“I do.” Frankie paused for a beat. “Is your idea of your future changing then? Do you want something different?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know what I want. I thought I did. But I’ve been on this track for so long, maybe it’s just become what I thought I should do. I’ve put so many years into this already.” Willa sighed in frustration. “Changing now would be like starting all over.”
“Not necessarily. I’m sure most of your credits would go a long way toward something else.”
“I don’t know about most. Some, yes. But it doesn’tmatter. It’s not like I know what that something else might be.”
Frankie hurt for her child. “Sweetheart, you sound burned out. Not just from school but from all the responsibility you’ve been carrying for so long. Maybe you need a break.”
Willa scoffed. “Sure, I’ll take a week off and go to the beach.”
“I know you didn’t mean that, but that’s actually a really good idea.”
“Mom, I’m in Ohio. What beach do you think I would go to? Also, I can’t afford to do anything like that. I can barely afford to take a day off.” Willa laughed, but the sound tapered off into a sob. “I don’t like my life very much right now, Mom.”
“Oh, sweetheart. Don’t cry.” Frankie understood not having money. But she also knew her child was in a tough spot. Frankie had to do something. Make some effort to help Willa. Her heart insisted. Her credit card would just have to get over it. “What if I sent you a plane ticket?”
“To visit you? I’d love that. But you can’t afford that.”
No, she couldn’t, but she was going to create a logo so amazing that Lucas would have no choice but to like it and pay her. She’d use that money for the credit card bill. “I just got a new illustration job. I can afford it. Also, I’m not at home.” Frankie smiled. “I’m in a place that’s much, much better.”