Everlyn Chapter 4
Spending the past two weeks in the office had thankfully come to an end.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved my job as an environmental engineer.
My specialty was site remediation and cleanup, which I chose because of my mom’s Native American heritage.
A lot had been passed down through our family history.
I liked feeling like a guardian of nature, as my ancestors were.
In the office, I’d spent most of my time on regulatory compliance and reports.
I prepared a ton of reports, and I also ensured the projects my company worked on complied with all local, state, and federal regulations and obtained the required permits.
There were always a ton of those, or so it seemed.
When I wasn’t doing that, I worked on another project: a risk assessment. The assessment evaluated potential, not actual, danger to the environment and to humans to determine the necessary cleanup levels in the event of an occurrence.
I spent time investigating, designing, and implementing solutions for decontaminating sediment, soil, and groundwater.
When I was out in the field, which I planned to do on Monday, I would take samples, check on field technicians, work with other environmental scientists, coordinate with contractors, and monitor the progress of the cleanup.
The contractor performed tasks such as dredging, excavation, installing pump-and-treat systems, and bioremediation.
Most people I met thought what I did was boring, and if I tried to talk to them about it, their eyes would glaze over, and they’d fall asleep, change the subject, or find an excuse to wander off.
Jeremiah had been an exception. He never failed to listen attentively to what I was working on.
He asked intelligent questions. In him, I found someone with similar interests.
Allegra was able to handle it to a point, then she would tap out, but she was always nice about it when she’d hit the wall. Having them in my work life enriched it. Sure, I could always talk to colleagues about it, but sometimes you need more than that.
It was this inability to be interested in my work that had ended most of my relationships over the years.
Men seemed fine talking incessantly about their work and what they enjoyed.
But when it came time to reciprocate, and they figured out it wasn’t a traditional role, in their minds at least, they checked out even faster.
Those who didn’t do that lacked sizzle in our relationship.
It either never manifested or it faded away.
My last boyfriend had fallen somewhat into the first category.
But it wasn’t due to a lack of interest in my work.
He was in the same field, yet was jealous of my success and of the fact that I outranked him in the industry.
He felt, as a man, that he should be in a superior position and make more money, and that his girlfriend shouldn’t disagree with his work processes, which I did all the time.
He wanted a simple yes-woman, and I’d never been one of those.
Today was Friday. On Monday, I’d be out in the field for a while.
I was looking forward to it. However, first, I had to survive tomorrow.
Allegra and I would be having Jeremiah’s funeral and wake.
His custom casket was finished on Wednesday.
We’d gone to see it. Allegra felt more able to handle it. We loved it.
When we left that day, I felt let down, and it was stupid.
The reason was that I hadn’t seen Zephyr, nor had I seen him around town, since the day I chose the casket.
I knew I was a fool for expecting to see him or wanting to.
It was clear that the pull was one-sided, which was good.
I’d had enough rejection and disappointment in my life.
Heading home from the office, I tried to prepare myself for tomorrow.
I had deep emotions, but was restrained when it came to expressing them.
I’d learned young to bottle them up. Allegra had always had loving people in her life, so she freely let her feelings show.
Tomorrow would have her breaking down. I had to be strong for her.
As I pulled into the driveway, I headed to my house.
We planned to eat dinner together, but she’d let me take my time showering and getting into my PJs before coming over to order the pizza.
Neither of us was in the mood to cook. We’d had a cleaning crew come in to clean the main house for the wake.
And someone to cater the bulk of the food.
Neither of us had the energy to do it, not with our work schedules.
I practically dragged myself inside and to my bathroom. As my mind wandered, I kept lecturing myself not to hope I’d catch a glimpse of Zephyr tomorrow. And to be thankful that after the funeral, there would be no excuse to see him. I refused to examine why my chest ached at the thought.
?
The funeral home was overflowing with people paying their respects.
We hadn’t had a viewing before the day of the funeral, per Jeremiah’s wishes.
I shook hands, thanked people, and smiled so much my face was sore, and my whole body ached.
I’d been smart and wore comfortable shoes rather than high heels. Legra had done the same.
Now, it was time to go to the cemetery. The lead car behind the hearse was the one we were in.
I noted that the men at the funeral home and taking us to the gravesite weren’t Grave Prowlers.
None of them wore a cut. Yeah, that was something I’d learned in these past weeks.
I watched television shows and movies about bikers and learned that their vests were called cuts.
Those shows were a guilty pleasure I hid from my best friend.
The graveside service was brief, with only close friends and family in attendance. Afterward, Allegra and I were given time with the casket to say our last goodbyes. I sniffled, and Allegra sobbed.
On the ride back to pick up my car at the funeral home, we regained our composure and took time to clean up before heading to the house. We had the wives of two of Jeremiah’s friends, and those friends were there to handle anyone who arrived before we did. They’d offered to do it.
Walking into the house was a mixed bag of feelings.
Over the next couple of hours, people shared stories about Jeremiah.
They shared their favorite moments and more.
We laughed, cried, and toasted him. Honestly, I was drinking more than I planned, but if there was ever a night to let go and get drunk, this was it.
Finally, the crowd began to dissipate until it was down to the two of us.
We left the mess for tomorrow. Allegra and I went to Jeremiah’s office and sat, letting the scent of his cigars enfold us.
It still lingered in the room. Jeremiah smoked the good kind, not the God-awful ones many people smoked.
Eventually, she yawned before she spoke.
“I’m going up to bed. I’m exhausted. Are you staying or going back to your place?” she asked.
“If you’re okay with it, I’d like to sleep in my bed tonight. We have the meeting with the lawyer tomorrow morning,” I replied.
She groaned. “Crap, I forgot. I know we need to do it. We’ve procrastinated long enough. I’ll be ready to leave at nine.”
“Nine it is,” I said, standing, then I hugged her tightly, and we held each other for several extra moments before I kissed her cheek and left. I walked the lighted path from the big house to mine, wondering what life would bring next.
?
We were up, drinking coffee, when Willis Patterson, Jeremiah’s lawyer, rang the doorbell. We had told him we’d come to his office in town, but he insisted he’d come to us. I think he was so relieved to be able to finally read the will that he’d do anything that made it seem easier.
He was greeted, shown into the office, and offered coffee, which he accepted. When he was settled with it, his laptop, and a stack of papers from his briefcase, he got started.
“I know that yesterday was hard on you both, but Jeremiah would’ve been proud of how well you both handled it.
I won’t prolong this. I know you’re still reeling from everything.
I have copies to leave with you so you can read them at your leisure.
Before I go into the specifics of the will, I have a video that I was asked to play first.”
Patterson turned his laptop so we could see the screen. Then, he pressed a few keys, and the screen came alive with the image of Jeremiah. Immediately, my eyes filled with tears. He looked so vibrant. I wanted to reach out and touch his face.
“Girls, if you’re seeing this, then I’m gone.
And I know that while my passing will be hard, you’ll be there for each other.
That’s what family does. Know that I love you both.
Allegra, the day you were born brought such joy into my life.
While I hated that you had so little time with your parents and grandmother, I thank God that I had you. You made my life worth living.
“Then, one day, you came home and brought the friend you hadn’t stopped talking about for weeks. One look at you, Everlyn, and I saw a kindred spirit to both Allegra and me. When we learned of your situation, there was no way I could leave you in it. And just like that, I had two granddaughters.
“I never want you to think you weren’t loved or as much of a granddaughter as Allegra was, Everlyn.
Know that what you’re about to hear is my last wishes.
There is no contesting my will. I want you both to go forward with your lives, allowing yourselves to open your hearts to others’ love. I love you.”
By the time the video stopped, tears were running down both our faces.
Patterson handed us tissues to wipe our eyes, then opened the paperwork.
I sat there trying to get myself back under control as he detailed Allegra’s inheritance.
I didn’t honestly listen. Everything would go to her as it should.
If anything, there might be a small bequest for me.
It was my name being said that grabbed my attention.
“To Everlyn Forrest, my granddaughter of the heart, I leave the remaining fifty percent of the shares in Moore Enterprises. I hope you’ll accept the role of CEO, but if not, you’ll know who will best serve in that role.
In addition, you receive half of all other assets, including investments, properties, money, and more.
Willis Patterson has the complete listing. ”
My mouth dropped open, and all I could do was stare at Patterson in disbelief. The lawyer continued.
“And before you say you won’t accept it, Everlyn, you need to know. If you refuse, I will donate all my legacy to charity. Other than a few personal items, Allegra will lose her half, too. It was the only way I knew to ensure you didn’t decline it.”
Patterson paused, letting what he’d read sink in. Allegra startled me when she laughed. I glanced over at her. She grinned at me.
“He knew what he was doing. He backed you into a corner. I love it. You’re stuck with me,” she said with glee.
I sat there wondering when I’d wake up, but I didn’t.
Patterson went through a few other items, then handed over the paperwork for our official signatures.
My hand shook as I signed mine. After he had everything in order, he packed up and told us to call him if we had questions.
He’d be helping us with any matters unless we decided to appoint different legal counsel.
I shook his hand, and I hoped I said something half-coherent at the door. When the door closed, Allegra wrapped her arms around me and danced us around the foyer.
“Grandad was convinced you’d never accept anything significant. I’m thrilled he found a way to make you do it, even if it is blackmail. Come on, let’s go make breakfast and talk.” She led me to the kitchen in half a daze.