Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
D ays later, Scarlett woke with a start when her cell phone rang at seven in the morning. Eyes barely opened, she snatched the device from the nightstand.
“Hello,” she said groggily, then glanced to the other side of the bed which was empty. That was no surprise. Antonio was probably already out for his morning run, which he did faithfully.
“H—hi, Scarlett, it’s Nancy.”
Scarlett stilled. Nancy never called that time of morning, unless…
“It’s Cynthia. She… she died in her sleep, and…” Nancy’s words trailed off, and she started crying.
Scarlett closed her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand unable to hold back her own sobs. Even though she knew this day would come, sensing it would be soon, she still couldn’t believe her friend, Ezra’s grandmother, was gone.
God, she hated this. Death might be inevitable for everyone, but she still hated it.
She sat up in bed, pulling the comforter up over her bare breasts, and wiped at her eyes. Neither her nor Nancy spoke for a few minutes, both trying to pull themselves together. Scarlett couldn’t believe Cynthia was gone.
“I’m so sorry to call you like this. I thought I could do this without crying. Apparently, not,” Nancy said.
“It’s okay. It’s a hard loss for all of us. How’s everyone else doing?” Scarlett asked about the house staff. They adored Cynthia, and no doubt this was going to hit them all hard.
“Everyone is doing as well as expected. We could tell her health was declining, and when she gave us all huge, life-changing, bonuses a couple of weeks ago, we knew this day was coming soon.”
Scarlett let the woman talk, sensing she needed it. She shared a couple of stories about Cynthia and how much the woman meant to her. Nancy and the others adored Cynthia as much as she did. Losing her was a huge loss for all of them.
“She gave me an envelope last week and said not to open it until she was gone. She never shared what was wrong with her, but her health declined fast over the last week. Anyway, in the envelope was a short list of people she wanted me to call and let know about her death. You were at the top of the list.”
“Thank you for calling me,” Scarlett said, and then unease swirled around her. “What about her daughter? Is she on the list?”
“No. I assume Cynthia’s attorney will notify Alberta.”
Scarlett nodded, not that Nancy could see her. “You’re probably right.”
Now all Scarlett could think about was the fallout that might happen if Cynthia followed through on what she’d said about her estate. Bella would be a wealthy little girl, and Alberta was going to be furious.
She and Nancy chatted for a little while longer. Scarlett already knew there wouldn’t be a funeral. Cynthia didn’t want one, not even a memorial service. She’d said she didn’t want folks that she hadn’t seen or heard from in years to be crying over her. And she wanted those she’d been close with during her last days, to remember her the way they last saw her or spoke to her.
“Included with the list of people,” Nancy continued, “she wrote these words: Tell everyone not to cry for me. Tell them that I’m happy, and I finally get to be reunited with my two favorite guys. I can’t wait to see and hug them. To all of you, I love you. Thank you for being such an important part of my world. Remember, live life to the fullest and love hard.”
A fresh wave of tears assaulted Scarlett as her heart broke. She might have lost a dear friend, but heaven got another angel.
* * *
The moment Antonio entered the bedroom with a cup of coffee for Scarlett, he knew something was wrong. Normally, she’d still be in bed, even if she was awake. After checking their bathroom and then Bella’s bedroom, and not finding Scarlett, he retraced his steps. Back downstairs, he went to the room at the back of the house that she used to create content for her social media sites. That’s where he found her.
“Hey, what are you doing up so early?” he asked as he entered, then pulled up short when she turned to look at him with red-rimmed eyes. She had a small stack of photos in her hand. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Antonio moved across the room, set her coffee on the work desk. The pictures were of her, Ezra, Cynthia, and Cynthia’s late husband.
“Cynthia’s gone,” she said with a watery smile. “Nancy just called me.”
“Ahh, baby, I’m sorry.” He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. “I’m so sorry for your loss. What happened?”
They sat in the upholstered double chair tucked in the far corner of the spacious room as Scarlett explained that Cynthia had died in her sleep. He’d only met the woman once but had talked with her via FaceTime a few times when Scarlett was on the phone with her. He liked Cynthia, and he loved how much she adored Scarlett and Bella. On more than one occasion, she reminded him that he’d better do right by her girls.
“I’m worried,” Scarlett said. “I asked Cynthia more than once not to leave Bella everything. I begged her to leave her estate to the house staff and Alberta, but I don’t think she listened. I have no doubt her staff will be well taken care of, but Alberta and Theodore…” Her words trailed off.
She didn’t have to complete the thought. Antonio was a little concerned too. He didn’t know how things would shake out regarding Cynthia’s estate, but like Scarlett, his main concern was for the safety of their daughter.
My daughter .
There were days it still blew his mind that he had a daughter, and she was a Jenkins. He hoped his and Scarlett’s concerns about Ezra’s parents were unwarranted, and he’d be open to them getting to know her. She was a special little girl, and they’d love her if they got a chance to meet her.
But it would have to be on his and Scarlett’s terms. If they tried to use their daughter in their political aspirations, or if they tried to go after her inheritance, then they’d have to deal with him. Antonio would use every means at his disposal to keep them from her and out of her life.