All That Jazz

by Hope Alexis Milam

  "I’m glad you had the chance to get to know yourself better." Mandy smiled.

  "Hey, I shared a room with BJ. Getting to know myself was a problem."

  "Funny. You know what I meant."

  "Yeah, I know. I feel like I’ve changed a lot. It’s kinda nice in a way. It’s strange though, that’s for sure." She pulled a drink from the small refrigerator. "I plan on telling Harold, flying back with you and then driving over to Nicole’s."

  "Laurel, she’s not in Hattiesburg anymore. She moved." Mandy did not look happy as she imparted the news. "I should have told you sooner, but since you were with the band I didn’t."

  "Where is she?"

  "I talked to Danny. He came over and borrowed a few pictures of you from New York for proof he said. He told me Nicole was back in New Orleans."

  "I need a cigarette." Laurel rose and opened the door. She leaned against the doorway and lit a cigarette.

  "That’s a crutch you know."

  "So, you’ve told me. Man it’s cold up here." The wind was cold. "Wait a minute." She looked out farther into the darkness. "Get dressed."

  "Why?"

  "You’ll see." Laurel banged on BJ’s door. "Take a break already. It’s snowing."

  "It’s what?" BJ peeked around the door.

  "It is snowing."

  "No shit. Sam, get dressed. There’s some white stuff on the ground." He closed the door quickly.

  "Mandy, I’m going to go get Steve." She rushed off after pulling the door closed.

  Steve was asleep when she began knocking on his door. She managed to get him coherent. He was as excited as the rest. Before long, the three band members, their two friends, and the puppy were outside playing in the snow.

  "Damn this stuff is slippery." BJ complained as he rubbed his hip.

  "That’s one thing they don’t tell you about snow." Larry commented as he approached. "There’s ice under there sometimes. You guys look like you’re having fun."

  "This is the first time I’ve ever really seen snow." Laurel told him.

  "So, have you second guessed yourself yet?" Larry asked as they watched the others make angels in the snow.

  "No. I’m leaving. I’m going home to collect my truck then I’m going to New Orleans." She did not have to think about it. It was something she had to do. "I should have done it months ago."

  "No. You were out here for a reason. That reason no longer exists. Now you can go home with a clear conscious. You did what you were supposed to." He commented.

  "Where’d you get that from? It’s the first time I’ve ever really done what I’m supposed to do." She laughed.

  "I don’t know where that came from. I just know it’s true. I’ve known since we started jogging. It was only a matter of time before what need to click did so and you’d leave." He reached down and grabbed a handful of snow. "Now if you know where that information came from, please tell me. I’m not into mysticism and stuff like that. It kinda freaks me out."

  "Me too. Mandy would be the one to tell you where it came from." She lit another cigarette.

  "Good. I may do so. Now, which one shall I aim for?" He tossed the snowball in his hand.

  "BJ." She answered. She watched the ball arch against the dark sky and land right on the back of the drummer’s head. BJ whirled around in shock. Laurel laughed so hard her sides hurt. Unfortunately, she did not see Larry point to her. The next thing she knew, she was staring at the sky with a drummer on top of her. "What?"

  "You hit me with a snowball. This means war." BJ poured snow down her shirt.

  "Fuck that’s cold." She squirmed from under him. The half finished cigarette ended up on the ground. "Larry, you bastard." She tossed a handful of snow at him. He laughed and ducked.

  "How’s that feel, laughing boy?" Steve asked. He was sitting on Larry’s back.

  "Absolutely great. Free for all." Larry bellowed.

  They took him at his word. The six of them spent several satisfying minutes slinging snow at one another. Muggster even entered the action. The small dog would choose a person to chase until she got bored or someone attacked Laurel. Muggster was very protective of her human. Anyone who attacked the bassist soon found a small heavy object nipping at his or her ankles.

  "Alright, let’s go warm up." Mandy called a halt to the games.

  "Good idea. I could use some hot chocolate. My hands are frozen." BJ announced.

  "Mine too. We have a vehicle. Let’s go find some coffee or something." Laurel suggested. She felt too good to sleep now.

  "Great. Anyone ever driven in snow before?" Steve asked. Only Larry nodded his head. "Right. We walk."

  "Good idea." Laurel laughed. "I think there’s a donut shop near here." She turned around to get her bearings. "Yeah, it’s half a block that way." She pointed to the barely visible sign.

  "Half a block in cold weather?" Sam asked.

  "Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm." BJ wrapped his arms around her.

  "Ugh. Let’s go before they get all disgusting." Laurel led the way.

  "This was fun." Mandy said as she caught up to the bassist.

  "Yes it was. Thanks for coming up here."

  "Thanks for asking us."

  "Can’t I get the last word in with you?" She laughed.

  "Nope." Mandy grinned.

  "I will one day, you know." Laurel promised.

  ***

  Nicole settled back into the well-padded chair. She was tired already. She looked over at the other two members of her family present at this meeting. Kay and Denney were also reclining in the old fashioned, red leather chairs. She knew the relaxed postures were as false as her own. It had been a very hectic three days. However, she had mourned. Now she was glad her grandmother was at peace.

  Only David Jones, the family attorney, stood. The photographer wondered if he had been teased about his name as a child. Suddenly, she found herself very curious about names and personalities. She wondered what would cause someone to curse a child with such a name. She only hoped that she could avoid the same mistake with her child.

  "So, I guess you all are wondering why I chose to meet with just the three of you first." The tall, balding attorney’s nasal voice pulled her from her thoughts.

  "I had wondered, Davey." Denney grinned at the attorney’s flinch. Nicole knew they had what her uncle called ‘bad blood’ between them, though she did not know the reasons behind their ill will.

  "Adia’s will is very specific. It completes Henri’s." Mr. Jones quickly recovered his aplomb. "It mostly concerns Nicole, but I felt the two of you, as the oldest offspring still here, should hear what it says before the rest of the family." He stumbled a bit over the term. Nicole could not blame him. Every Hebert, no matter how distantly related had swooped down like buzzards after Adia’s death. The photographer did not know half of them, the others she had not seen in years.

  "I take it most of the family will disagree with this?" Kay stood and walked over to her niece. She placed a calming hand on the photographer’s shoulder.

  "I can imagine most of them will be displeased." The attorney unfolded a letter he had idly been turning over in his hands. "I have been instructed to read this."

  "Nicole, it is my wish that this is to be taken as it is meant, for the best. You have been groomed from a young age for this. I have, as did your grandfather, every faith in you. Of all my children and grandchildren, you, Nicolette have the ability, as your father before you, to lead this family, manage the estate, and hold it in trust for future generations. I must now apologize. It must appear as if you are being thrown into this blind. This is not true. As I said before, you have been groomed for this, as your father was, all your life. Even though you often resisted, and your grandfather could not deny you anything, you are still the best equipped for the duty. In short, as I know you are most likely in shock, we have designated you as our heir. David will have all the details. Listen to his advice, but follow your own instincts when able. He will be able to walk you throug
h everything, as will Denney and Kay. I trust in them to help you settle into this. This will not be a popular decision, but hopefully soon the rest of the family will see the sense in our decision. I know that I can count on Phil, Jessie, Cassie, Michael and Stan to help you with this as well. I thank God that you are not alone in this task. I know that you will not let us down and will fulfill all the dreams we had for you. Sincerely, your loving grandmother, Adia T. Hebert."

  "That’s it?" Denney stood. "I’ve known that for a long time. Is there something in that pile of papers I don’t know?" He sounded slightly upset.

  "Denney, calm down." Kay’s grip remained on Nicole’s shoulder. The photographer felt as if she were trapped in a very surreal dream. Nothing seemed real.

  "Yes there is more. There are conditions to this will. Would you like to hear them now?" David sunk to his knees and lowered his voice as he spoke to the photographer.

  "Yes. We might as well talk it all through now." From someplace inside herself she found strength to think of something other than her heartache. She had not known such a place existed, but she liked it.

  "Alright. These are the conditions. You are the heir to the throne so to speak. Everything your grandfather and grandmother owned is now yours. That includes the Warehouse, this house, the plantation home, the antique stores, the restaurant, the club, the hotel, all the stocks and bonds and the art gallery. It all belongs to you, however there are conditions on this. You are not allowed to sell any of it for fifteen years. You can only be absolved from this if you suddenly disappear or cease to breathe. This is also transferable to any heirs you may produce within that fifteen year period. If you were to produce an heir within that time frame, you would be able to abdicate the responsibilities in favor of your child. Everything would then be held in trust until that child came of age. It is rather theatrical and Old Worldish, but Henri did always admire the kings of England a bit too much." He forced a laugh. "The fifteen year clause is to make sure your aunts and uncles continue to have an income until they retire. Then they’ll draw from a special trust set up just for that."

  "Well, I guess she’ll have to take it then. It’s not like she’ll produce an heir with her lifestyle." Denney sank back into his chair. His tone was surprisingly calm as if he were not delivering a backhanded insult.

  "I wouldn’t be so sure of that. I do plan on having a family one day." Nicole was finding it difficult to focus on any one thing. She did however register the impact of her uncle’s words. There had been no stipulation placed on the conception of an heir. She was not required to marry. No matter what happened, her child would be provided for and protected.

  "Nicole, I know this is a lot to process. We will have the full reading of the will in two days. You have until then to make your decision. There is another out clause for you." The attorney stood and shuffled through his papers again. "If you decide to disappear, we can provide a nest egg of sorts. However, if within the time frame given, you were to have a baby, that child would become the heir by default. I think we’ll leave you alone to think it over. I will leave these with you." He handed her a pile of papers. They were copies of the letter and other assorted documents. "Come by my office if you have any more questions. We need your decision by the time we read the will. You have until Thursday at 5 pm." He awkwardly patted her shoulder. "I’ll be looking forward to hearing your decision."

  "Thank you, Mr. Jones." Nicole managed to remember her manners. "I will be in touch."

  "Have a good evening." He did not seem to know what else to say. "This conversation of course needs to remain private." He looked pointedly at Denney. "I shall see you all soon. I’ll see my way out."

  "Well, I’ll be." Denney seemed at a loss for words. "I’m going home. I’ll see you both Thursday."

  "Goodbye, Denney." Kay had yet to move.

  "See you later, Uncle." She barely looked up to see him leave. She was too busy rereading her grandmother’s letter.

  "Well?"

  "Did you know about this?" She asked her aunt.

  "Yes. Mother had me witness the will. I could not tell you about it, but she never rewrote the will. She wanted it that way, even after the fight you two had. She admired your willingness to walk away from everything and your determination to succeed on your own. She said it is what marked you as different from the rest of us." Kay finally walked over to her chair. She pulled it closer before taking seat facing the photographer. "Do you know what you’re going to do?"

  "Well, I seem to be kinda stuck."

  "You could leave. I hope you don’t, but it is an option." She was sincere.

  "No, I can’t leave. I need to tell you something that is going to seem awfully convenient to the rest of the family, but trust me it was not planned." Nicole took a deep breath. "I am pregnant. By the terms of the will, regardless of my decision, it will still affect my child. I could not dump that on someone. I have a responsibility to my child and myself. I cannot run away again. I’ve gotten too good at that recently."

  "How did you? I thought you were?"

  "It was an accident and I am. I." She wondered what to tell her aunt. She had actually contemplated disappearing after she learned about her pregnancy, but knew it would have been the wrong decision. "I ran into Brian one night back in October. It was not a pleasant scene, but it happened. I’ve accepted it, I just need to move on now." She almost smiled as she remembered hearing those words from Laurel more than once. She knew the bassist would be proud of her at this moment. It was a tough situation, and Nicole was prepared to face it head on. She was not going to run, she was going to accept it, deal with it, and get on with her life. It was about time, but finally the final piece of her bruised soul healed itself. It felt surprisingly good.

  "Oh, honey, I wish you would have said something." Kay had tears in her eyes as she leaned over and hugged the photographer. "Are you sure about this? I mean you have two days to think it over."

  "There’s nothing to think about. This is my responsibility. I can’t turn my back on my family, my child, or myself. I can’t outrun my duties anymore. I’ll call Mr. Jones tomorrow and tell him my decision." She felt it was the right decision. She had no doubt about this. It was her responsibility and she was willing to embrace it.

  "Well, this is good news I guess. What do you want?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "A boy or a girl. Which do you want?"

  "I honestly don’t care." She did not want to admit that she often dreamed of a son. "I think Danny wants a little girl."

  "What does Danny have to do with this?" Her aunt was understandably confused.

  "He has agreed to stand as the father. We’re going to ask Sheryl and Aaron to be godparents." She felt the smile approaching a second before it appeared. It was a little tired, a little worn, but it was real.

  "Good. Guess this means we’ll have to go shopping then. Can I at least throw you a baby shower? This maybe as close to a grandchild as I’ll get for a long time." Kay seemed pleased with the situation.

  "Yeah. I get the feeling I’m going to need a lot of help."

  "Well, I need to go round up my husband before he shoots one of my cousins. Honestly those people have no manners." She tactfully did not mention her sister and brother, the two ‘missing’ Heberts. Marie and Julian had appeared for their mother’s funeral, but that was about it. They were only staying around for the will reading.

  "Thanks Kay." Nicole smiled at her aunt. "I’m just going to read these and hide from the crowd."

  "I’ll send your friends back. Unless you want to be alone?"

  "Send them back please." Nicole was absorbed in the documents once again. She did not hear her aunt leave the room.

  Her mind was too full of "parties of" and "clause number" to notice much of anything. Her grandparents had planned their wills carefully. All Nicole was required to do for fifteen years was manage the estate. For that period of time, everything was to remain the same. She could not fire any member of her family fr
om their job without cause and documentation to support that cause. She felt it was fair. She did not want to fire anyone. Denney, Kay, Stan, and Denney’s children depended on the profits from their businesses to live. She did not want to take that away from any of them. It would not seem right. After the fifteen years, she was free to do what ever she wished with the estate. She wondered at that. What would she want to do with it in fifteen years?

  As it was, Nicole felt a little overwhelmed by it all. She had not expected to receive anything upon her grandmother’s death. She was content to work as a freelance photographer for the local paper and two local magazines until the baby was born. She had never given thought to returning to the family in such a way. Accepting her responsibilities almost seemed a relief. At least now she would never have to worry about finding a permanent job. Her grandparents had taken care of that for her. It was a shocking revelation, one she knew she would have to grow into, but it was a nice surprise in a way. Nicole simply wondered now if she were up to the challenge. She did not want to let them down, but more she did not want to let herself down.

  "Hey Hotshot, what’s all the mystery going on for?" Danny poked his head around the door. "And why did Denney storm out of here like his feet were on fire?"

  "Is this something you can tell us, or do we have to wait for the TV movie?" Aaron pushed his lover inside the room.

  "A TV movie. Wonder who would play me?" Sheryl commented as she joined them in the study.

  "That annoying band camp chick from that pie movie." Danny grinned as the critic grimaced. "Now, are you going to tell us what’s going on?"

  "As much as I can, I guess." Nicole handed him the letter from her grandmother. She waited until after the three of them absorbed the shock. "That’s what it all was about."