12. Renee
Renee
“Come in!”
Renee took the invitation and let herself into the quaint little house at the end of a cul-de-sac.
It was on the small side, but it had lots of updated touches like fancy crown molding, new vinyl floors, and a freshly remodeled kitchen.
As nice as it looked, she was pretty sure they were asking way more than the place was worth.
A challenge her mother was more than up for on behalf of her buyers, who would arrive soon after her and her mother’s meeting to discuss the details of Aunt Ellen’s celebration of life.
In the kitchen, she found her mother standing beside a small bar, barely aware of Renee’s entrance. She wore perfectly tailored wide-leg navy pants and a flowy cream-colored blouse, with her deep red waves draped elegantly over her shoulders.
She placed a plate covered with foil on the center of the bar. When she removed the foil, the scent of chocolate chips warmed the room.
“For your potential buyers.”
“Perfect,” her mother said. “Thank you.”
That’s when Renee noticed the legal pad in her mother’s hands. It was filled with notes, lists, and timelines.
“Wow,” Renee said. “You’ve actually put a lot of thought into this.”
Her mother placed the pad she’d been holding onto the bar. “Well, of course I have. This thing is in less than two weeks.”
“Right. But I assumed you were leaving all of this for me to figure out.”
With a frown, her mother said, “Why would you think that? She was my sister.”
Renee bit her tongue before she made some comment about her mother never caring about her when Aunt Ellen was alive, so why now?
“Well, neither of her other sisters seems to give a rat’s ass.”
Not about the celebration, at least. They seemed to care only about their share of the estate. And, of course, not getting their hands on the house.
“They can all sit on tacks.” Her mother straightened her back. “You and I can do this without them.”
You and I.
There hadn’t been a “you and I” for as long as Renee could remember. But she was glad for the help now. This was all so hard. She still couldn’t believe they were doing all of this for her aunt. The one true constant in her life. The woman she’d never see again.
“Okay, then,” she said. “When are you thinking?”
“The Saturday after this one. The hall had a cancellation and is available then. Terrible news for the couple canceling their wedding, but great news for us. All they need is a deposit, which I can drop off once I’m done here.”
“Great,” Renee said. “Then I can see if the band can play then.”
“I was going to call the one your cousin used at his wedding last spring.”
“Let me take care of the music.”
She was already typing on her phone and didn’t wait to hear her mother’s response.
Can you guys do next Saturday?
She had to wait only a few seconds for the reply.
Let me check with the others.
“There,” she said. “If this band can’t do it, you can call the other one.”
“Okay. Just don’t wait too long to let me know.”
“I won’t. So what about the food? Can we find a caterer this late?”
They’d been lucky to grab a last-minute venue. Surely they couldn’t also be so lucky with the food situation.
“I have two different names to check first. Bobby that I work with has four grown daughters, and three of them are married. I do not want the caterer from your cousin’s wedding. I mean, did you taste that shrimp pasta?”
“I did not,” Renee said. “I’ll take your word for it. And whatever caterer you choose.”
Her phone dinged.
We’re in!
Renee smiled at her phone screen and could practically see Jessica’s face smiling back at her. It was the same smile she’d seen on her face the day before when she’d walked in on Renee’s stress-baking display.
It had been good to see her again. Good to hear her voice. To touch her finger ever so slightly as she handed off that container.
Good grief, she needed to get a grip. Jessica was a client. Nothing more.
For now, maybe.
“I take it that’s good news?”
Renee flipped her phone over and set it on the bar. “Band’s in. Consider that booked.”
“That seemed like an awfully big reaction for that kind of business transaction.”
“I’m just glad to have another thing taken care of.”
“Sure you are.”
Renee sighed. “Don’t pretend like you know what I’m feeling.”
It came out more defensively than she’d meant it to, but the sentiment was accurate.
“Renee Benoit,” her mother said sternly. “I may not have been the best one, but I am your mother. I do like to think I know when you’re excited about more than a band booking.”
“She’s just a client,” Renee said.
Her mother knew Renee was a lesbian, though they never discussed her dating life. It wasn’t some big secret. They just didn’t have the type of relationship to discuss that sort of thing, regardless of who Renee was dating.
Or, in this case, not dating.
“Right,” her mother said. “Another cheating job, I take it?”
“No. And that isn’t all I do. You know that, right?”
“I know that’s the bulk of your line of work, right?”
Her mother always could match her attitude. As much as Renee hated to admit it, they had at least that in common.
“It’s a weird case,” she said. “I’m making sure her ex is taking care of their dog.”
She didn’t know why she felt the need to explain that to her mother. It wasn’t any of her mother’s business, and Renee didn’t make it a habit of sharing anything about her work with her.
“Their dog,” her mother repeated back to her.
“Yes, their dog,” she said. “Now, what else do we need to take care of for next Saturday?”
“Really, Renee? A dog?”
“He’s adorable. I can see why she cares so much.”
“I thought you didn’t like animals.”
“I don’t dislike animals. I just dislike owning them.” Renee sighed. “Speaking of animals. I still need to find someone to take Bartholomew.”
“Isn’t that what the shelter is for?”
“I’d rather not do that if I don’t have to,” she said. “Can you ask around?”
She hated asking her mother for a favor, but she was getting desperate where this cat was concerned. He needed a new home before she could sell the house. Which, despite Ben’s objections, was still the plan.
“Of course,” her mother said. “But don’t get your hopes up. Not many people will want a grown cat.”
“I know. Now, back to the list.”
Her mother looked down at the legal pad and ran down the list of other things they needed to plan.
Renee was assigned table coverings and confetti—one of her aunt’s favorite things—while her mother would take care of flowers and other decorations.
Renee was also put in charge of printing and framing photos of her aunt for a display table.
“Can we pull this all off in a week and a half?”
“Absolutely,” her mother said. “We Benoit girls can do anything we set our minds to.”
That had been a constant phrase Renee heard throughout her childhood. Which made it even more clear that her mother had never wanted to set her mind to caring for her daughter.
Renee caught sight through the window of a car pulling alongside the road in front of the house. “Your buyer is here. I’ll get out of your hair.”
A move Renee was intimately familiar with.