Chapter Fifteen #2
“Okay, not exactly stolen,” Bright amended with a laugh.
“I was in my second year of law school when I realized I hated everything about my life, including my boyfriend. I broke up with him, dropped out of school, and started tending bar at a colorful little pub in Concord. It was the first time in my life that I’d worked for money.
My parents had paid my tuition, bought me a car, and given me a stipend—that’s what my dad called it—for expenses.
Needless to say, they were not happy when they learned I’d dropped out… a full nine months after the fact.”
“Oh shit. Not so close with the parents, huh?”
“Not so much.” Bright crunched down on a chip.
“They didn’t find out until the tuition check they sent for the first semester of my third year got sent back.
They’d still been putting their allowance—because that is what it was, no matter what my dad called it—in the account they’d opened for me, but I didn’t touch it after I dropped out. ”
“What did they say when they found out?”
“Oh, we’ll gloss over that part. Let’s just say certain words were put out there such as ‘ungrateful’ and ‘lazy’ and ‘unmotivated.’”
“Ouch.”
Bright shrugged. “I’ve mostly gotten over it. Anyway, I told them I was sorry I’d disappointed them, but I couldn’t be the daughter they’d planned to have. They responded to that by cutting me off financially and threatening to sue me for repayment in full of the tuition money they’d wasted on me.”
In that moment, Emmy hated Bright’s parents. She’d completely forgotten that neither Bright nor her parents were real people. She was too caught up in the story.
“I’m so sorry,” Emmy told Bright, reaching out to touch the other woman’s hand.
“Thank you, but I got through it. I figure they threatened to sue as a kind of ironic punishment. After all, if I’d finished law school, I would have been able to…
represent myself or something. Anyway, I’d retained enough knowledge from my classes to hit them with some complex jargon about countersuing.
I lied and said I had connections with lawyers who would represent me pro bono.
They backed off, and I soothed their egos by telling them to take back all the untouched money from my ‘stipend’ account.
Which they did pretty much immediately. That night, I packed up all my stuff—not that I had much—and hit the road.
I spent some time finding myself and getting over what I felt was a pretty hefty parental betrayal.
Then, I must have been just a few miles outside of Cobalt, a cop pulled me over.
Apparently, they’d reported the car stolen.
I hadn’t even thought about how they still technically owned the car.
They didn’t put my name on it even though they’d bought it for me, their adult daughter. ”
“God, how could they do something like that? They’re your parents for Christ’s sake.”
Bright shook her head, her smile wistful. “Parenting meant something different to them than it does to other people. To them, a child needed to be strictly disciplined. Controlled. If I stepped out of line, the punishment had to be harsh so that I’d learn my lesson.”
“Psychopaths,” Emmy muttered.
Bright laughed at that. “Possibly sociopaths, I’ll give you that.
But anyway, they were gracious enough not to press charges so long as I surrendered the car to them.
I made the arrangements to do that, and then I just…
walked the rest of the way to Cobalt. Figured I could at least find a motel or someplace to stay for the night, but then I saw the vacancy in the space that is now my shop.
I took that as a sign… literally. There was a big For Lease sign in the window, right?
” She giggled at the way Emmy snorted with laughter and rolled her eyes.
“I know. I can be a bit much. But that’s it.
Now, I own my own car, and I’m in control of my own life. ”
“Have you heard from your parents at all?”
“They sent me an email confirming receipt of the car.”
“Fuck that’s cold,” Emmy breathed.
“The coldest. But it’s done now.” Bright briefly squeezed Emmy’s hand. “Thanks for letting me spew on you. It was all fresh on my mind since I just gave Jared the full story. His reactions were along the same line as yours, though his were a bit more… impassioned.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet. I guess that means things are going well between you two?”
“Yes they are.” Bright’s smile was that of a cat who’d gotten the cream. “I wasn’t looking for a relationship, but that’s just what I’ve got with Jared. And it’s real.” She didn’t catch Emmy’s wince at the word “real.” “I feel more for Jared than I ever felt for my ex.”
“I’m glad for you. You’re like the poster child for ‘All’s well that ends well.’”
“Ha! I love that. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Do you want to stay for the next episode?” Emmy offered. “Learn how to build a credenza or something?”
“Tempting as that is, I’d better go. I don’t want to leave Bianca alone too long. But thank you. This was super fun.”
When Emmy stood, Bright pulled her into a hug. She was surprisingly okay with the gesture. Thinking of her own parents, their warmth and kindness, their guidance throughout her life, she squeezed Bright a little tighter.
“Seriously good job on the landscaping,” Bright said again, looking out the window at the yard. “Are you in business? Should I spread the word? Or do you not have time to do it professionally and write at the same time?”
Write? Oh, yes. She was a romance novelist, according to Will. “I’m not in business. No need to advertise for me. Yet.”
“I like the ‘yet.’ If you ever need tips on how to start your own business, hit me up. We can grab coffee.”
“Thank you. I’ll do that.”
“Bye for now!”
Emmy watched Bright walk down the driveway to the slightly beaten-up Jetta she was clearly proud to own. The author hadn’t pulled any punches when it came to Bright’s backstory.
Reluctant to close herself back inside on such a beautiful day, she went out the front door to try to see what Bright saw when she drove up to the house.
She looked at her own work, trying to be objective, and decided she was no amateur.
The wind chime Bright had made was singing its song while the breeze carried the scent of fresh herbs from the window box by the kitchen.
With a sigh, Emmy stretched out on the grass and closed her eyes.
The sun warmed her skin and the breeze cooled it again.
This was what she needed. Just a couple minutes of peace to shut her brain off.