Chapter Fifteen Scarlett #2
“Make yourself at home. I’d like to speak to Scarlett alone,” she says, eyes still on mine. I glance over at Evan as his eyebrows furrow. He nods at Marie and stands. And then he sits back down.
Green eyes meet mine. “Are you—”
“Yes, I’m fine. Go . . . wander,” I say, even though I’m not sure I want him to leave just yet.
He’s supposed to be my co-interviewer and help with any follow-up questions or keep us on topic.
I don’t know how this is going to go and I should really use him for backup, but I also know I need to do this on my own.
Evan must know that too because he gives us both a soft smile before slipping through the door that must connect to the kitchen.
As soon as Evan leaves the room, Marie’s shoulders drop and she slouches deeper into her chair, getting more comfortable.
“I know why you’re here,” she says, a haunting tone to her voice.
I swallow. “You . . . do?”
She makes a show of rolling her eyes and waving a hand around dramatically. “I’m sure your dad has told you some horrible stories about how I ruined our dad’s life and the family business.”
I shake my head. “He actually hasn’t told me much about you.”
Her eyes meet mine again, but the fire I saw in them a second ago has dimmed. “Oh, well, uh, he must have forgotten about me then.”
Something in my chest pinches together, and I wish I were sitting closer to her so I could hold her hand or comfort her in some way.
Being forgotten about, by anyone, must hurt.
My dad values family more than anything.
Making sure we’re all happy and healthy has always been his top priority.
But knowing his own sister is living all the way out here alone and he hasn’t done a thing about it doesn’t seem like those values extend very far.
“You know, your dad and I share the same father,” Marie continues.
I nod eagerly, desperate to know more. “Your Grandpa Voss was the one who created the business from the ground up. You’d think that would make us connect, bond over spreadsheets, and spend summers visiting the US to go to meetings.
But as the eldest daughter, I wasn’t given anything.
No responsibility, no say in anything they did.
I had to sit and watch.” My stomach twists uncomfortably.
I know that feeling all too well. “And then my dad met your grandmother and had your father. He got everything, all the power, all the responsibility, and my mother and I were pushed aside. Shunned from the family because of traditional values.”
I can see the hurt in her eyes, the pain that clearly still lingers. All I can manage to offer her is, “Aunt Marie, I’m so sorry.”
She jerks back slightly, confused. “You’re sorry?”
“Yes, I’m sorry that you got pushed aside,” I say, swallowing. “Trust me, I know how that feels.”
She scoffs. “You’re, what, sixteen?”
“I’m twenty.”
“Right. You still don’t know anything.”
I think about telling her what happened when I was sixteen. How I felt when my parents found out what I did. How I still don’t feel like I’ve fully gained their trust back. How stupid I feel for letting them down and dragging my friends down with me.
I settle for something a bit lighter instead.
“My dad hasn’t been the most accepting with me either,” I say, and she doesn’t respond, allowing me space to continue.
“He thinks I’m not ready for the responsibility yet even though it’s been all I’ve worked toward since I knew what our company meant.
I’ve tried to impress him in every aspect of my life but it’s never enough.
So, yeah, I do know how it feels. A little bit at least.”
Marie’s mouth opens and closes, blinking rapidly. “I didn’t know that.”
I shrug. “Maybe times haven’t changed much since you were my age.”
My phone lights up with a text, distracting me for a second when I see Evan’s name.
Evan:Not to freak you out or anything, but there is an insane amount of taxidermy animals back here.
I swallow back a scream, trying to seem casual in front of my aunt as I type back a panicked WHAT?!
I look back to my aunt. There’s a deep hurt in her eyes, something that still hasn’t fully healed no matter how long ago this happened.
I feel for her. No one should have to go through something like that, watching themselves and their own mother get replaced.
Especially not so publicly. To me, my nonna was always a huge part of Voss.
She and my grandfather seemed to work side by side until they passed.
The fact that I didn’t know a thing about Marie’s existence until now goes to show just how little he cared about her.
A ping sounds in the distance, like a timer’s gone off, and Marie mutters a curse under her breath. “That stupid oven. I swear it doesn’t know when to shut up sometimes,” she mutters angrily. I watch her struggle to stand, but I get up before she does.
“No, stay. I’ll sort it out,” I offer. She eyes me suspiciously for a second, but I can tell she’s too weak and tired to fight me on it, so she settles back in her chair instead.
I move into the hall, checking every corner for Evan.
I need him to stop texting me if I want this interview to go somewhere.
And besides that, I’m actually enjoying getting to know her.
Am I pissed at my dad for not telling me any of this sooner?
Absolutely. But in some ways, I’m grateful that the list led me here.
I take the charred tray of food from the oven, place it on the stove and grimace at whatever it was supposed to be. I open a cupboard to see if there is anything I could cook for her instead.
I yelp when I turn and crash into a hard surface. Strong hands sink into my biceps, and I regain my balance, staring up at Evan. His eyes are deep and sincere, a sea of green swirling in them.
“You scared the shit out of me,” I say, playing it off with a laugh. I try to squirm out of his grip, but he doesn’t let go of me, holding me tighter.
“We have to leave. Like now,” he hisses, glancing toward the door to the kitchen.
I yank myself out of his grip. “I’m not leaving because you’re scared of some stuffed animals, Evan.”
“There are so many of them, Scarlett,” he whispers hauntingly, even shuddering for effect. “So many.”
I bite the inside of my cheek so I don’t laugh.
I’ve seen Evan anxious a handful of times, usually when we’re waiting to receive test results or we’re about to sit an exam.
But I’ve never seen him all jittery and frightened over something like this.
The Bransons give off the vibe that they’d have a moose head displayed on the wall above their dining table right next to a handpainted family portrait.
“Well, I’m making progress with Marie,” I say, glancing to the door that leads to the living room, feeling my heart squeeze a little. “I think she really needs this.”
Evan’s expression softens. “Do you not want me to mediate?”
“No, I’m fine. I’ve got this,” I say, opening a cupboard to find a packet of chips. “Try not to spook yourself even more.”
He laughs awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’m going to step outside for a minute.”
I pout, patting his shoulder. “You go do that.”
Evan scoffs, shrugging my hand off his shoulder before walking down the small hall toward the front door. After hearing it open and close behind him, I grab a bowl for the chips and some dips from the fridge, and bring them into the living room.
Marie’s face lights up when she sees me. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that.”
“The food from the oven wasn’t exactly edible,” I laugh, pushing the coffee table slightly closer to her.
She grabs a handful of chips, talking through a mouthful. “You’re an angel.” I laugh a little to myself. I’m pretty sure that’s the first time anyone has called me an angel in a sincere way. Marie nods to the front door. “Is everything okay with Evan?”
“Yeah, he just needed some fresh air.”
“Not a fan of the animals?”
“Nope.”
Marie nods, speaking her next words softly. “They were never my idea. My husband, Thomas, would have had the whole house full of them if he could.”
I smile. “Where is Thomas now?”
“He died over ten years ago.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. She shrugs, giving me a warm but sad smile before settling deeper into her chair. “Do you want to talk about him?”
“I would love to.”
I don’t know how long we talk for, but it feels like hours.
Marie tells me all about Thomas and how they met as kids.
They were friends for years, went to different high schools and colleges, but it wasn’t until they both graduated that they got together.
As cynical as I am about fate, their story makes me believe that it can be true for some people that no matter where they go or who they are, they will always be drawn back to the same person. And, for Marie, that person was Thomas.
At some point Evan finally came back inside, and Marie let him listen in on the stories.
As someone who can barely remember what they had for dinner yesterday, her memory astounds me.
She tells each story with detail, with meaning, with love.
I can see the exact moment her eyes and her body language change as she drifts from one story to the next, even acting out parts that she can remember.
I stopped taking notes a while ago, and just let myself listen and learn.
She asked me to promise not to mention this to my parents, and I do my best to assure her I won’t.
They’ll have to know something so they know I really completed the task, but I’m sure I can find my way around not disclosing who the interview was with.
When the conversation comes to a natural end, she walks Evan and me to the door. It’s well into the evening now, and there are a few fairy lights marking the path through the trees.