Chapter 4
Four
Faye
Faye looked at her sister, Ali. How was she so unruffled? In the middle of a hurricane, Faye’s big sister Ali was a rock. Always.
“Thank you for coming.” Ali smiled and accepted hug after hug. The American Legion Hall was packed with mourners.
Ali was the big sister in all things, a substitute mother in a lot of ways, even though they were only two years apart.
Ali seemed to have everything under control in all scenarios.
And she was still so beautiful at forty-nine.
Her big sister was the captain of the cheerleaders and the president of the Honor Society. She had thick ash-blonde hair that, these days, she always had in a ponytail or clipped up out of the way. Ali used to have the most gorgeous highlights in the summer.
Faye was worried about Ali, though.
In the dead of winter, in Toledo, at this funeral, it looked very much like Ali needed Vitamin D or a nap or better concealer. Then again, they were in the thick of it right now.
Caring for and then burying Bruce Kelly had sucked. Faye was numb, too. And she’d done half as much as Ali.
Ali Kelly Harris was a superstar in Faye’s eyes. But even through the lens of love, she saw the truth. Ali’s eyes were tired. Two dark circles under them looked almost like bruises.
In the last seven days, Ali had confidently made calls, sympathetically informed distant cousins of the news, decided on a casket, taken in a million casseroles, and managed to make a potluck at the Conn Weissenberger American Legion Hall look like a catered affair.
Bruce Kelly wasn’t all that religious, but he was very patriotic. He was the proud son of a World War II vet and served with the Marine Corps in Vietnam.
It made sense, holding this gathering at the hall, with its dropped ceiling, wood chair rale, and rows and rows of white tablecloth covered eight tops filling the space. There was a bar on the far end of the room where they’d set up coffee, soda pop, and water for mourners. The large kitchen featured a serving window. American flags, lists of members, founders, and trophies were randomly displayed. And there was plenty of parking. Ali also pointed out that all of Dad’s old cronies would be able to find it. There was nothing fancy or pretentious, but it was serviceable and familiar. Plus, the Kelly Sisters knew exactly how to run an event here.
They’d had Ali’s wedding reception here. Nothing fancy for the Kelly Sisters. Somehow, the sisters made every gathering sparkle. They were sort of known for it.
But really it was Ali. She was the engine behind any magical moment that Faye and Blair had ever experienced.
Faye thought back to this space, this hall. Dad said graduation parties were “ridiculous.”
“You’re not accomplishing a darn thing getting out of high school. I expect it. Welcome to work!” That’s what he told Ali.
Dad hadn’t let Ali have a grad party. Even though Faye knew everyone at Whitmer High School would have attended a party for her big sister. Ali was friends with everyone! But no, no party. Bruce Kelly put his foot down on that one. Faye remembered her father putting his foot down a lot.
When Faye graduated two years later, Ali had taken charge. She hadn’t listened to Bruce Kelly’s rule about what should be celebrated. Ali had insisted. She’d rented this hall, enlisted her friends to cook food, and strung Christmas lights all over the ceiling. The place had looked amazing! Faye Kelly had the grad party of Ali’s dreams.
Of course, by the time Blair graduated, Bruce had revised his thinking and allowed them to rent a shelter house at Olander Park, all the way out in Sylvania. It was practically fancy by Kelly standards. Even then you could see Ali’s career path developing. She was so good at planning the best parties. And now, she was doing it for the entire town at the Frogtown Convention Center. And, of course, not getting the credit she deserved. Ugh. It drove Faye up the wall. Ali was why that place was always booked and everyone had good experiences in downtown Toledo.
Faye turned her attention to her younger sister, Blair.
Ali had made that call, too. Faye could still hear it, see it. Ali telling Blair, with a gentle tone, that Dad had passed. “I know, sweetie. He loved you so much. It’s okay.”
Ali had comforted Blair. But who comforted Ali? Faye tried, but it was easy to see the coping mechanism Ali had employed their entire lives was action oriented. Do things. Keep busy!
Blair Kelly lived in Cincinnati. Four hours away by car. Her job in IT could be done remotely, so that was good. But it was also bad. She could never fully leave the office.
Faye had seen Blair step out and log on to her work laptop several times in the last three days. You’d think someone else could cover her job during her father’s funeral?
Ali made sure Blair didn’t have any responsibilities other than just being here. She’d told Blair as much when she’d made that initial phone call.
“There’s nothing to be done right now. We’re going to have services on Thursday. Just get here by then.”
Ali was making it easier for Blair. Faye tried to make it easier for Ali. Yet Ali hadn’t cracked, not once, since all this started.
Dad had died at 2 am on a Tuesday, and by noon that day, Ali had most of the details arranged. Visitation and services were set for Thursday.
As they accepted hugs and well wishes from Bruce’s crew at the plant, fellow Jeep retirees, and a few of the Kelly cousins from Flat Rock in Michigan, Faye realized she’d not helped her sister at all. She’d just done as Ali asked. Maybe that was a help?
Faye walked over to Ali and stood beside her. Ali was accepting another hug graciously. This hug was from Ollie Hoolihan, an old friend and fellow Jeep retiree. He had ideas and he was letting Ali know all about them.
“We need to name the Euchre tournament after him. That’s what I’m working on. He started it, you know, back in 1977. We even did it in the Blizzard of ’78!”
“Ah, that’s lovely, Ollie, he did love Euchre.”
Bruce Kelly had taught his three girls how to drive a stick shift, change their own tires, and “go it alone” in Euchre. That memory of their dad almost made Faye cry. She blinked away the tears threatening to form.
Ollie squeezed Faye into a hug. She’d worked at the plant with him for a brief stint before he retired. He squeezed her hard, the breath coming out of her lungs a little.
These old guys, there weren’t many of them left. She was actually a veteran now at Jeep. She was closer to retiree than newbie. Her thirty and out was around the corner. How had that happened? How had life moved this fast? She supposed her dad thought the same. His deathbed ramblings indicated regret and remorse, but also love. Deep love from the man who put his foot down.
Why hadn’t he said any of those things before? Ugh. Faye didn’t want to get pulled into a spiral of grief, of mid-life what-ifs. It felt so cliché.
Old Ollie turned away from the sisters and ambled toward the door. The crowd was thinning now.
Faye put an arm around Ali.
Blair appeared on the other side of their big sister.
“The Bruce Kelly Euchre Tournament? Dad would hate that,” Faye said.
“It seems kind of sweet,” Blair replied. Their little sister was the tallest of them and the most wide-eyed about what Dad would like or not like. The short answer was he would not like almost everything.
“But dad didn’t like to draw attention, on him, on us, you know the way he was,” Faye said, then added in her best Bruce Kelly working man gruff voice, “Quit showing off.”
“You fishin’ for compliments?” Ali chimed in with her own impression.
“Oh, alright, alright. I get it,” Blair said.
“What can we do to finish up?” Faye asked Ali.
“I’m going to load the flowers and take them to the nursing home, and then I need to head to the Frogtown offices. We’ve got that home show starting tomorrow, and I’ve got loose ends there.”
“They can’t possibly expect you to be there!” Blair protested.
“They don’t, but they do. My boss is fairly useless on the details.”
“Your dad just died. They shouldn’t expect you to be there,” Faye backed Blair up.
“It’s a good distraction. And you’re checking in on your computer for your work, same thing,” Ali said.
“Look,” Faye replied. “We’ll do the flowers. You go to your office, and then we’ll meet up at Dad’s. I’m going to pick up a couple of pies from JoJo’s Pizza, and we’ll just decompress.”
“What about the kids?”
“Your two are taking mine to their place.”
Faye’s son Sawyer was a Freshman at Ohio State University. He could stay at home with Faye while he was here, but it was probably way more fun to hang out at Katie and Tye’s. Heck, Faye would like to do that, too. Just have a six-pack and be glad you’re not old! Woo hoo! But JoJo’s Pizza was damn good, so the Kelly Sisters’ post-funeral slumber party was a decent option after the week they’d had—heck, the last six months they’d had since Dad’s diagnosis.
“You’re both doing okay?” Ali asked with concern. She was worried about her sisters, their kids, the guests, and her job. Faye wondered how long Ali could really keep this all up.
Ali still looked so much like the one picture they had of their mom, blonde and blue-eyed. That is, if she’d had the good fortune to age. Their mom hadn’t lived to get wrinkled. So many dark thoughts were popping into Faye’s head. It was maddening.
Faye had pinned her own chestnut hair into a bun. It was the color of Dad’s, a fact she used to hate, but now, not as much. Now that she was a supervisor and not on the line, she had let it grow a little. Their Blair had almost red hair. Dad said redheads were his favorite. Of course.
Faye wanted to let Ali know they could help. That they could lighten the load. “We both have it covered. See you at Dad’s unless you have to get back to Ted.”
Ali stiffened.
Faye noticed her reaction. Ted had been dutifully there, greeted guests, and made small talk, but come to think of it, the closest she’d seen Ted to Ali was with Katie and Tye between them.
“What’s up, big sister?” Faye asked.
“Yeah, no, on that back to Ted thing. In fact, I’ve got to call a lawyer. Do you think I can get a discount, a twofer of will reading and divorce filing?”
“What?” Blair and Faye asked in unison. Talking in unison was a common occurrence among the Kelly Sisters.
“Yeah, the day Dad died, I caught Ted with a grad assistant in my house.” Ali’s jaw was clenched. A deep frown line had set in between her blue eyes.
“I’m going to kick him in the?—”
“Faye, that’s ridiculous. I already hit him where it hurts the most,” Ali interrupted.
“His car?” Blair guessed.
“Ha, yeah, dumped a bag of potting soil all over it. Well, in it.”
That was so unlike Ali! Faye was proud. Take that; you rat bastard cheater!
The sisters encircled Ali. She accepted the hugs briefly but then brushed them off.
“I don’t have time to break down, you know? If you hug me I might—” She stopped and put the back of her hand to her mouth.
She was holding in so much, Faye knew. It couldn’t be healthy. When would Ali get a chance to grieve? Or even a day off?
“Look, we’ll do the flowers. You go deal with your boss. I will try not to assault Ted in the meantime and then take out JoJo’s Pizza at Dad’s.”
“I can’t promise that I won’t assault Ted,” Blair added.
Ali gave a little chuckle.
That was good, at least, a little laugh.
“Okay, okay, see you tonight.”