by Lou Grimes
“You don’t have any right to judge her. It’s not like you, my father, or even my grandfather were there to help,” Louvette popped off immediately, defending her mother’s honor. Her mother sent her a grateful smile and stepped closer to her daughter as if someone was going to steal Louvette from her.
“We don’t need you or the Blackwood money,” her mother said to Mr. Hollows, looping her arm through Louvette’s arm.
“If you change your mind, feel free to call me,” Mr. Hollows relented, realizing his error. He backed away slowly as if one of the Lynskeys might pull a knife on him. From her mother’s twitching eye, Louvette believed that it might be a possibility.
His car pulled out, leaving a confused emptiness behind. The two of them looked at each other once he was gone, at a loss for words.
“Why didn’t you ever give me a name?” Louvette asked later over dinner after things had calmed down.
“You would have just gotten angry at me one day and run off looking for them. You wouldn’t have found anything other than an empty house. It’s a long trip from here to Whitefish,” Sarah said. Her face was heavy from exhaustion, setting her chop sticks down. She had spent the meal pushing around her lo mein more than eating it. The same could be said for Louvette as well.
She couldn’t fault her mother for that. Louvette had been a ticking time bomb for the last few years and she needed to own up to that fact for both their sakes.
“Yea, I’m sorry about everything. I’m the reason we’ve moved so many times. I should have developed some kind of self-control after all this time or at least grown a thicker skin,” Louvette replied, thick tears brimming in her eyes.
“It’s okay, honey. You’re a teenager full of hormones. You’re just trying to find your place in the world like everyone else. That’s hard enough when people are taught everything about themselves and their heritage. You’re having to do it handicapped because of me,” Sarah admitted.
Louvette stood up and hugged her mother hard, like this was the last hug she’d ever have with her, then slipped off to bed.
***
When she woke up the next day, the shower wasn’t running like normal. Louvette found her mother sitting at the kitchen table. A large coffee placed in front of her sat cold and forgotten.
“Did you sleep at all last night?” Louvette asked, taking in her mother’s clothes that were the same from the night before.
“No. I didn’t,” she said Louvette. Thomas Hollows’s card now looked like it had survived a world war. There were missing pieces, burn marks, and it had yellowed overnight. Louvette could only image what her mother had gone through.
Noticing Louvette’s stare, Sarah picked the mangled thing up, not really inspecting it.
“I probably threw it in the trash a billion times, but your words kept going off in my mind every time that I did it,” Sarah revealed.
“Mom, it’s okay. I’ve been thinking that I should just get my G.E.D. I can help pay the rent then,” Louvette said, attempting to comfort her stressing mother.
“No, I promised I’d see you graduate,” Sarah pointed out, patting the seat next her.
“I couldn’t sleep last night. I don’t want you growing up without ever finding out who you are because of my selfishness. You need to know what you have inherited from the Blackwoods. The good and the bad. Plus, we are out of options as far as schools go.” Sarah finished on that light note. Louvette couldn’t stop the awkwardly depressed laugh that escaped her at her mother’s statement. It could only be described as a bark.
“So, what do we do now?” Louvette asked.
“I’m going to call Thomas back to sign the papers so that I’m not denying you the part of yourself that is Blackwood,” Sarah said to her.
***
Mr. Hollows was more respectful when he returned to their apartment that day. As soon as her mother called him, he was there within thirty minutes. Louvette suspected him of waiting around the phone, hoping that they’d break down and call him.
Once he got out, her mother strode to him as professional as ever. She even had found a pen after she found a change of clothes.
“Where do I sign?” Sarah asked, ready to make this go the quickest that she could.
“Actually, he left everything to Louvette. She needs to sign with you as acting guardian until she is eighteen years old,” he said to her as her face scrunched up.
“Of course, I wouldn’t be included on the will. Are there any stipulations?” her mother asked, scoffing.
“No, but there are technicalities,” Mr. Hollows responded smoothly.
“Can you explain those?” Sarah asked Mr. Hollows as politely as possible.
Mr. Hollows put his suitcase on the hood of the car and opened it up, pulling out an extremely thick packet. There were many pink and one yellow page markers poking out the side
“There are hundreds. You’re welcome to read them,” he said her, plopping down a packet that would have won largest legal report in the history of law. Sarah blinked at the loud thud, but then picked up the packet as if deciding in a split second to scan each document.
“Initial all the pages that have the pink tabs on it. Sign and date the final yellow tab,” Mr. Hollows instructed them as they began to sign together.
Her mother hesitated at the final signature. She sent one glance toward Louvette and then signed the bottom line as if she was signing away something. Her regret was clear, but the reason for it was not.
“I’ll have this processed as soon as I can. I’ll have all the titles sent to you once they go through. For the time being, here are debit cards to get you two to Whitefish, MT. I’m technically not supposed to do this because of the law, but Blackwood’s instructions were extremely clear about making this process as smooth as possible for both of you.” He whispered the last part, leaning in like a conspirator.
“How did my grandfather die?” Louvette asked.
His eyes snapped to hers, deciding what he could tell her. “He was murdered,” he told her sympathetically.
“Murdered? Are we safe going to Whitefish and living in that house?” her mother demanded. Her timelines on her face were wrinkled to the max.
“He was killed about a week ago, while he was traveling. I assure you that you will be completely safe in Whitefish,” Mr. Hollows informed them. His face was the picture of regret.
“How was he killed? How did they find him?” Louvette asked.
“Wilder would check in with me every time he left. He called me three weeks ago to let me know he’d be gone for about a week. A week came and went, and still I heard nothing. The police found his body. They don’t have any clues other than that it was homicide. The police are currently investigating the case,” Hollows said.
“Will you tell us if they find out anything?” Louvette asked, feeling the loss creep into her soul. Louvette was mystified that it even seemed like a loss. She no idea who he was. She had no name, pictures, or memory of him.
“Yes, I will. I wouldn’t hope for much,” Mr. Hollows said.
“We will leave as soon as you do. Everything is already packed. The car just needs to be loaded,” decided her mother.
“Here, let me help you,” Mr. Hollows said, flashing a charming grin. It turned him from the reserved formality that he had to a chivalrous gentleman in a matter of seconds.
Her mother cracked a slightly flirtatious smile for the first time since she had gotten off work. He was the complete opposite of her usual hit and runs. Louvette thought that at least her mother’s mood wouldn’t be total trash on this never-ending car ride.
They loaded the couple of suitcases that they had into the trunk of the car.
“I’ll meet you in Whitefish. I have to go to my office in Bozeman first to file these papers. It may take a couple days,” Mr. Hollows said. He shook their hands and slid into his Cadillac. He pulled off, the engine purring.
They looked at each other for a second. The need to talk was hard to resist, but h
er mother’s face shut down at Louvette’s questioning look. She got in the car without a word and so did Louvette, feeling the historically long running rift continue to grow.
Louvette started to yell at her mother, but decided better of it. She shoved her headphones in instead.
***
Louvette’s body ached from riding for fifteen hours. They were only about halfway there and her mother decided to stop for the night at a town in Wyoming called Casper. The weather had drastically changed from a hot dry heat to a crisp cool that some people experienced during the fall. The landscape had changed as well from crop fields to a wilder country of sagebrush and dry grass.
“How much do you think is on the cards?” Louvette asked as they pulled into Casper.
“I don’t know,” her mother responded, looking at the hotels that they passed. There were several to choose from.
“Should we call Mr. Hollows?” Louvette asked.
“No, it’s late. Plus, I don’t want to talk to him,” Sarah said.
“I’m fine with anything that doesn’t look like they have bed bugs,” Louvette joked.
“Yes, I vote no on bed bugs too,” Sarah teased back, turning into a parking lot of one of the hotels.
The Days Inn hotel they decided to stop at was far better than its past competition. Traveling constantly throughout her life had ended her up in numerous rooms that could have been classified as straight roachers. They would fit right in as a setting for a horror film. However, the Day’s Inn hotel room was perfectly up to code. It was a budget friendly standard two queen bed arrangement.
They checked into their hotel and drove down the interstate to a local outdated diner. The diner was a place that coined the blue-plate special and day-old coffee.
They didn’t care about being healthy and neither did her stomach, which was protesting from running without any proper lunch to tide it over until this particularly greasy savior. The waitress came after they sat down, and they ordered two specials. The promise of a cheeseburger and fries was just too good to pass up, especially since it was a bargain. They didn’t intend to waste the cards on expensive food in the event of a car emergency.
The wait for the food was similar to the car ride. The only conversation that existed between the two was small talk. The population of the diner included some late-night locals, tired truckers, and some insanely overly happy travelers.
The waitress returned to deliver the food that had probably been sitting under a heat lamp in the back because there were no visible signs of anyone cooking. Louvette devoured her food as her mom picked at hers. Louvette decided to risk finding out more since her mother had agreed to this.
“Will you tell me what happened between you and my biological father? All I know is that Declan is gone” she asked.
“Don’t. Just don’t,” her mother said, cutting her off. Her eyes were a pool of pain like a wild animal that had been found on the side of road after being hit. She was still the same closed book as before.
“Please. Tell me what happened.” Louvette pleaded. Her mother simply shook her head.
“Well if you can’t talk about my father, what was Wilder like?” Louvette compromised. She waited for her mother to respond.
“Wilder was the complete opposite of Declan. He was reserved and loved having me over before you were born,” her mother said, quietly looking out the window. Her gaze was a reminiscent one.
“What happened? Why did you leave if Wilder cared about you?” Louvette asked.
“He wasn’t the same after Declan disappeared and neither was I. I had to get away from that place. There were too many memories,” Sarah told her.
“What do you mean Declan disappeared?” Louvette asked.
“Neither of them were going to be there. They didn’t want anything to do with us,” Sarah snapped, ending the conversation after Louvette tried to change the subject back to her father.
Louvette face flipped into a hard mask to hide her hurt as her mother got up to go pay.
They returned to the little travel hotel and went to sleep. Her racing mind made getting any rest impossible for Louvette.
***
Louvette lurched awake for the second time in two days. Her mother turning off the shower was her release from her vivid dream of wolves fighting, of all things. They both got ready and left the hotel for another horrendous day of driving. She alternated the trip between drawing, Facebook, sleeping, and researching about Whitefish whenever the cell reception actually worked.
Once they were near Whitefish, the normal trees had turned to giant evergreens. The air was a bit brisker. Her mother looked over at her as she shivered a little at the intruding air. Their car wasn’t insulated enough for this weather. Years of use had worn out the car’s heater, which had never really been a problem before.
“We will have to update our wardrobes for the fall and winter weather,” Louvette’s mother told her. Louvette’s outlook brightened at the prospect of new clothes. She didn’t remember the last time she’d gotten to go shopping. Her suitcase had the essentials for sleeping, running, and the casual activities that she liked to do.
They pulled in towards a beautiful view of the mountains and a quaint size town that resided in mountains shadow. People were walking along the main street, passing local quaint shops. The smell of street food wafted into the car’s poorly sealed cab, making Louvette’s stomach growl. Her mom laughed.
“We will order pizza once we find the place because I really don’t feel like cooking after this drive. How does that sound?” she asked while her eyes darted toward each street sign. They had just passed a pizza joint on the main road called Jersey Boys Pizzeria. The promise of warm pizza in contrast to the new cold weather was mouthwatering.
“Sounds good to me,” Louvette agreed fervently as she thought about biting into the hot Canadian bacon, onions, and black olives pizza that they ordered every time.
They turned down 2nd Street and the city road started to transform. Mountain log cabins bordered the road in a sporadic manner. As they drove further out of town, the houses became less dense until there weren’t any more.
“Do you think the pizza place delivers this far?” Louvette questioned her mother. Sarah made a face, meaning, they’d find out.
“Here we are, I think,” she announced as she pulled into a drive that trees surrounded that gave the property a secluded feel. The driveway felt as long as the drive from town, but thankfully the road was paved completely, so it was a smooth one. A deer lazily walked across the road ahead.
They came over a slight hill that flattened out to a huge clearing in the forest. An equally massive two story log cabin was placed strategically in the middle. A large shop that had double garage doors stood next to it. The mansion—because “house” was too small of a word to describe this thing—had a wraparound covered porch. There was a structure for firewood as well that was completely stocked.
“Oh wow! I really forgot how amazing this house was. It looks like we both get our own rooms this time,” Sarah pointed out cheerily.
“Let’s be honest. We are getting our own wings too, I’m starving,” Louvette corrected in high spirits. Sarah threw back her head and laughed. They both ran in to see the rest of the house, giggling like middle schoolers. Their suitcases were forgotten in the car.
The investigation of the inside of the lodge revealed four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Louvette claimed one of the bedrooms on the second floor and her mother selected the master bedroom that was conveniently located on the first floor. They each had their own bathroom. Having their own space was a new development from the previous one bedroom homes that they had lived in. The house was spotless. It was already furnished with handmade furniture and had stainless steel appliances. A formidable double walled fireplace was in the living room and kitchen on the bottom floor. The house had everything needed for a person to live in it more than comfortably. The fridge was still stocked too. Its contents were only about a couple we
eks old, but they didn’t feel like cooking after the car ride so they voted for pizza if it was an option.
As it turned out, Jersey Boys Pizzeria did deliver out there for a small charge. The night instantly started looking brighter as the two women were able to mellow out after acquiring some much needed junk food. The pizza was extremely flavorful and satisfying, but at this point, even a can of tuna, bread, and mayo would have done the job.
While trekking up the stairs, Louvette noticed the pictures on the walls halfway up. She paused to take them in. The man from her dream was smiling at her, though much younger than the dream version she had seen. A boy who looked like both her and her grandfather stood next to him. She peered closely at the smirking, curly-haired boy. The only differences between her father and grandfather was that her father had fewer wrinkles lining his face and less grey in his beard than her grandfather.
The apple obviously didn’t fall far from the tree between her father and grandfather, she thought bemusedly. She tried to memorize every facet of these pictures.
“I’m not going to look at these every day, so I’m going to take these down tomorrow after I get your school situation taken care of. I’ll put them in the attic if you wish to see them.” Her mother’s voice out of nowhere scared the life right out her. Her voice was off and flat.
“Okay.” Louvette’s one-word reply held anger.
They said good night. The air was chilly
Chapter 2
Louvette was in a house that seemed familiar. She didn’t recognize the Blackwood house well, but she knew enough to know that not everything was right. There wasn’t any furniture. Everything was outdated and run down. The opened windows that had ancient frayed curtains were billowing as the wind and snow blew in.
A wind that Louvette could not feel. She thought it was strange that the cold winter did not seep into her bones, for the floor around the windows was rotting from exposure. All over the house, the walls had holes throughout every room.
She knew the steps she plodded up. Her footsteps’ hollow sound resonated in the main room of her grandfather’s house. She paused on the stairs in the same exact place she had paused the night before. Louvette unhurriedly looked toward the wall. She frowned as she saw that the pictures her mother had removed had been returned. People began to whisper throughout the house while she stared at the pictures. The wind rustled the curtains.