Chapter 51
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
SEVEN VIRTUES, NORTH CAROLINA
When I started this blog during my uni years, I never could have predicted it would lead me to so much. Back then, I was set on a mild—oh, bugger it—a severe course of retribution.
I wanted to watch the world burn as I tossed the match on the petrol.
Now, I realize it was part of a grander plan to have my life intersect with the most important people in my life.
For that, I’d like to thank my family for always supporting me. My best mates, for never letting me give up, and you, my readers, for giving me a reason to go on every day.
Some days it took all of you for me to keep going.
—Moore You Want
“Fallon, can you come into my office for a moment?” Florence calls out.
Getting up from my chair, I head toward her office. She stands behind her desk and motions for me to close the door. “Sit down, Fallon.”
I drop into the chair. “Is something wrong?”
“I spoke to my lawyers today.”
My insides freeze. “About me?”
“Not about you specifically, about your situation. Have you and your mother spoken about family estate planning in light of everything that’s going on?”
I snort. “What estate, Florence? Unless Mama won some secret lotto she never disclosed, there’s just her bungalow, her car, and her life insurance policy.”
“There’s probably more.”
“Now that you mention it, there might be some additional policies and crap from her employer, but I’m too exhausted to think of it all right now.”
She comes around her desk and rests her hip against it. “Fallon, you should really speak with a probate lawyer to determine if you’re going to have any responsibility to the hospital because I don’t think you’re going owe them a red cent despite the fact they’re going to try to charge you for every sip of water your mother has taken out of one of their precious plastic cups.”
I rear back. “Excuse me?”
She explains some high level information about probate law in North Carolina before lifting a hand to remind me, “But I’m not a lawyer, Fallon. Don’t take my word as gospel.”
I cross my arms over my chest, hugging myself, as it seems of late, I’m the only one who can give myself comfort. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you came in tonight with devastation written all over your face. The last thing I want this place to be is a burden when there’s no point in you working here.”
“No point?”
“Fallon, the amount of money I’ve paid out is a pittance in comparison to the amount you negotiated. Am I wrong?”
My head drops and I’m unable to form words. Finally, I just give it a shake.
Her hand reaches over and squeezes my shoulder. “I was hoping that wasn’t the case for your sake, but I suspected as much. How much time have they given her?”
“A month, max,” I admit aloud.
“Fallon, I’m canceling your contract.”
My head snaps up at her words. “But…I…you…my mama still needs to be in the hospital.”
She leans forward until her face is all I see. “Listen to me, little girl. Consider my helping you is all those tips I should have given you on your shifts at Galileo’s.”
A watery laugh escapes. “Yeah. That might pay for one of her pills.” As Florence indicated, hospital stays aren’t cheap and as I learned, my mother doesn’t have the greatest insurance even if she does have some.
“You don’t need to be here trying to cater to someone’s fantasy; you need to be clasping your reality as close as possible for as long as you can. If you’re here when something happens, you’ll look back later and regret not being with her. You’re not going to be able to get this time back, despite how much you wish you could.” Her eyes flash a desperate agony that sears through me. But just for a moment. After quirking me her patented lady of the boudoir smile, Florence tosses her blond hair back. “Besides, I need a tax break.”
“You try to be such a hard ass.”
“Ask anyone on that floor, honey. They’ll tell you it’s true,” she drawls.
“No, it’s not, Florence. You gave me hope. I hope sometime I can return the favor.” I bite my lip to hold the tears away because I know if I start crying now, I won’t stop. I have to get out of here. I stand up and reach in my pocket for my access card to Devil’s Lair. “So, I guess this is it.”
“What’s the first thing you plan on doing when you get home since I’m throwing you out hours before you’re supposed to be out of here?”
“Catch up on sleep,” I immediately answer. But in my mind, the need to get a hold of Ethan is pulling at me hard. “I suppose I need to go get my things.”
“Before you go.” Florence reaches back and plucks up a piece of paper which she hands to me. “This is a list of the best probate lawyers in the area. Call any of them. Get your mama’s affairs in order. They know to bill me.”
I grind my teeth together as I fold the paper and slip it into my jeans pocket. “Thank you.”
“You know, Fallon. You remind me of myself…before.”
“Before what?”
“Just…before.” That flash of agony flickers across her face before it’s masked. “Now it’s late and it’s foggy. Get out of here and drive safe.”
“Florence?”
“Yes?”
“Can I ask a personal question?”
“Do I have to answer?”
“When…” I start and stop because I can’t quite get the words out. “When it’s time, will you join us… after? You’ve become a friend, and I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.” I can’t say after my mother dies. The words aren’t ready to pass my lips, just like I’m not ready to let my mother go from my heart.
Her blue eyes dampen and sadness overtakes her countenance. “Without question.”
I open my mouth, but no more words of thanks can come out. At a time of desperation, this woman saved me from unknown despair and broken promises that would have irreparably damaged the last few months of my mother’s life. Now, I’m about to walk out the doors of her lair unscathed.
Not able to save my mother, but able to make memories to hopefully heal my heart when I look back to our last days together.
Do I need more than that?
No, what I need are the people I love to know so I can finally break down and fall apart. Sorry, Mama. It’s time for me to lean on the people I love to get me through. In this case, some promises are going to have to be broken.