Coming Home (Vista Falls #4)

by Cheryl Douglas

  Her mother opened the door a few minutes later, dressed in a pair of black yoga pants and a matching hoodie. It was a nice change since Juliette was used to seeing her dressed up, with makeup and carefully styled hair.

  “Juliette,” her mother said, breaking into a smile as she reached for her hands and tugged her over the threshold. “What a nice surprise. I’ve tried calling you a couple of times, but when you didn’t call me back, I assumed you were mad at me too.”

  Juliette wasn’t surprised her father had filled his wife in on their argument. He was probably looking for an ally, someone to tell him he was right for being concerned about their headstrong daughter who seemed determined to ruin her life.

  “Tell me what you’ve been up to,” Adriana Keyes said, putting her arm around her daughter’s shoulders as she led her into the kitchen. “Working hard, I’m sure.”

  “Always.” Juliette’s parents had sold the house she’d grown up in when they decided to move into town a couple of years ago. She still missed the old house, but at least Colt and Gabby lived there now, so she still got to visit the old place even if it bore no resemblance to the dark and masculine dwelling she remembered.

  Even this house felt dark and masculine, with a predominantly brown-and-taupe color scheme and dark wood furnishings. Her father claimed it was traditional, but Juliette just saw his stamp all over it. There was scarcely a sign of the woman who shared it with him.

  That was when Juliette suddenly asked a question she’d pondered for years. “Do you ever feel overwhelmed by him, Mom? Like your life revolves around him and what he wants?”

  “Where did that come from?” she asked, forcing a laugh as she turned toward the counter.

  Juliette watched her prepare their favorite herbal tea. “He always has to be right. There’s no room for anyone else’s opinions. How have you lived with that all these years?”

  Her mother’s hand stilled as she pulled two cups from the overheard cupboard.

  “Mom? Are you okay?” Juliette asked, fearing she’d overstepped.

  “Everything you say is true. That’s why…” Her sigh was shaky before she took a deep breath and turned to face her daughter. “That’s why I’m leaving him, honey. I just can’t take it anymore.” Juliette’s jaw dropped, but before she could say anything, her mother rushed on. “I’ve thought about leaving him for years, but I told myself that you needed both of us, so I stayed. Then I told myself I’d leave when you did.” She shook her head. “Still, I stayed. The fear paralyzed me, I guess. I’ve never been alone. I went from living with my parents to living with him. That’s what a girl did back in those days.”

  Juliette wanted to applaud her mother’s decision to finally take her life back… but not until she was certain she’d thought it through. As a woman, she was proud of her, but as a daughter, she had to admit she felt a little sad knowing their family would never be the same. “Have you thought about what you’ll do?”

  “I have.” With a wistful smile, she leaned back against the counter. “I want to travel. I want to dance again.” She opened her arms, suddenly looking ten years younger. “I just want to feel alive. Do all the things I’ve dreamed of doing for years. All the things your father didn’t want to do with me.”

  “Dance?” Juliette asked, trying to recall if she’d ever seen her mother dance.

  “I used to love ballroom dancing when I was younger. Your father thought it was silly, so I stopped. I stopped doing so many things because he thought I should,” she said quietly. “I really regret that.” She looked around as though seeing the large kitchen for the first time. “This has become my prison. I spend all of my time here while he’s out with his friends, living his own life.”

  “I had no idea.”

  Her mother had always had a few close friends when she was growing up, but now that Juliette thought about it, they were all gone now. One had died of breast cancer eight years ago. Another had remarried after her divorce and moved away when her husband was transferred. And the other had moved to Florida to be closer to her daughter and grandbabies.

  No wonder her mother felt so alone. It made Juliette feel terrible that she hadn’t been there for her more. She’d been so caught up in her own problems she hadn’t stopped to consider what her mother might be going through.

  “I didn’t want to burden you with my problems.” Her mother stepped forward and cupped Juliette’s face. “My beautiful, strong, independent daughter. I’m so proud of you. Standing up not only to your father but to anyone who dares tell you how to run your life. I wish I could have been more like you. If I were, I wouldn’t be facing the prospect of starting all over again at my age.”

  “There are worse things than starting over,” Juliette said, making a silent vow to help her through the transition.

  “You’re right—like never getting the chance.” She sank into the chair next to Juliette, reaching for her hand. “Barbara always told me, in the year she was battling cancer, that I couldn’t keep putting everyone else first, that I had to start living my own life while I still had the chance.” She lowered her head, her eyes shimmering. “She was right. I lost another eight years to that indecision. Imagine how much further along I’d be now if I’d taken her advice back then.”

  “Mom,” Juliette said, squeezing her mother’s hand, “you’re not sick, are you? That’s not what finally prompted this decision, is it?”

  “No, sweetheart.” She smiled, giving Juliette’s hand a squeeze before releasing her. “But who knows how many good years I have left? I’m sixty now. My parents and grandparents all died in their seventies.” She sighed. “I’ve given that man the best years of my life, but I’ll be damned if I’ll give him the last years of my life. Those are just for me.”

  Even though they’d drifted apart in recent years, Juliette couldn’t imagine a world without her mother in it. She leaned forward, hugging her. “I want you to know I support your decision. Anything you need, you just have to ask.”

  “Thank you. That means so much to me.” When she pulled away, she was wiping at her eyes, laughing self-consciously. “But enough about me. I want to hear all about this young man who’s driven a wedge between you and your father.”

  Since her mother sounded more amused than judgmental, Juliette breathed a sigh of relief. “I know a lot of people have a preconceived notion about who Zeke is because of what he did—”

  “Who the hell cares what anyone else thinks?” she asked indignantly. “It’s your life, not theirs. For years, I was the picture of propriety because your father said that’s what the job demanded.” She rolled her eyes. “He was a small-town mayor, not the president of the country.”

  Juliette laughed. “Dad always did have a distorted sense of his own importance, didn’t he?”

  “You can say that again.” She jumped up to tend to the tea, which she brought to the table. “But I hope you won’t make the same mistake. Keep things in perspective. You’re a smart, well-educated young lady. You have a lot of options open to you if you decide this job is no longer a good fit for you.”

  Juliette watched her mom fill a plate with her favorite homemade scones before she asked, “Are you saying you don’t think the job’s a good fit for me, Mom?”

  “Honestly?” She seemed to ponder the question before setting the platter on the table with a couple of plates and some paper napkins. “I’ve been concerned from the moment you told me you’d be running. I thought maybe you were running just because your father had convinced you that you should. Believe me, I know how persuasive he can be when he sets his mind to something.”

  Juliette recalled all of the conversations she’d had with her father during her last year of college. They had been closer than they ever. He’d been contemplating retirement and planning for the day she would take over his office. Thinking back, she wondered if he’d ever asked what she wanted.

  “I thought this was what I wanted,” she said, staring at the window. It was dark, and she couldn�
�t see a thing outside, but she knew if she could, it would be a profusion of her mother’s roses in a variety of colors. She’d taken to gardening a few years ago, claiming she needed something to do. “But given the reaction to my relationship with Zeke, I’m not so sure. I’ve been doing a good job, giving it all I have, but I feel like all of that is in jeopardy just because of my feelings for Zeke.”

  “And is it worth the sacrifice?” her mother asked, propping her fist on her hip as she stared at her. “Is he worth it?”

  Juliette had never thought she’d be the kind of woman willing to risk her career for a man, but given the choice between her work and a chance at a future with Zeke, she’d have chosen the latter.

  “He wants to marry me.” Juliette hadn’t intended to reveal that to her mother, but with the news of her parents’ pending separation, she didn’t want her mom to be hurt because she’d left her out of the loop.

  “Are you serious?” she asked, wide-eyed. “But you haven’t known each other all that long.”

  “You told me you’d only known Dad a few months when you got married.” Her father had been going on a backpacking trip to Europe for six months and wanted her to come with him. As his wife.

  “Well, that’s true. But—”

  “You wish you’d taken more time to get to know him?”

  “I have no regrets.” She smiled, reminding Juliette how soft and pretty she’d been in her youth. “Your father wasn’t a terrible husband, just self-absorbed. And our marriage did give me the one thing that means the most to me—you. So how can I regret that?”

  Juliette smiled and swallowed the lump in her throat. It had been years since they’d had a heart-to-heart, and Juliette realized it was probably because her mother had been so mired down in loneliness and misery she couldn’t even help herself, much less offer someone else advice. “You seem to be at peace with your decision to leave him. No second thoughts?”

  “None,” she said, shaking her head emphatically. “It’s been a long time coming.”

  “So why are you still here? Have you told him you’re leaving?”

  “I have. It wasn’t easy at first, but we’ve made our peace with it. I suspect, though he hasn’t said it, that that’s part of the reason why he’s so upset about your new relationship. To watch you pulling away from the future he chose for you must feel like a second abandonment.” She smiled. “But don’t let him keep you from your happiness. And don’t use this as a reason to take sides. I wouldn’t want that. He’s your father, and in spite of his faults, I know he loves you and only wants what’s best for you.”

  Deep down, Juliette knew that too, though it wasn’t easy to admit. Her father was a complex man who’d never been forthcoming about his feelings. Maybe that would change now that he’d driven away his wife and daughter.

  “What are your plans now?” Juliette asked, hoping her mother really had thought this through.

  “Well, I do have job prospects,” she said, smiling. “For the last five years, I’ve been working on my degree.”

  “What?”

  She beamed. “That’s right. Library sciences. Ellen is retiring this summer, and they’ve offered the job to me.”

  Juliette stared at her mother, feeling as if she was seeing her for the very first time. This wasn’t the same mild-mannered housewife who went along with anything her husband said. This was a woman with a plan, one who was determined to take control and shape her own destiny.

  “I’ve been taking courses online,” she explained. “I started out slow, just a couple of courses, until I was sure I could handle it. Those little trips to visit friends were actually trips to the university to take my exams. This last trip was for my graduation ceremony.”

  “Your graduation?” Juliette asked, hurt that she hadn’t been asked to attend such a monumental event in her mother’s life.

  “I wanted you there, sweetheart,” her mother said, reaching for her hand. “But I hadn’t told your father yet, and he had to be the first to know.” She smiled. “But don’t worry, the girls were there for me. Just like they always are. We may live on different sides of the country now, but they’re still there when I need them.”

  Juliette was grateful someone had been there to cheer for her mother when her name was called, but she wished it could have been her. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d been more proud of her mother.

  “How did you manage this without Dad finding out?” Could he really be that out of touch?

  “He was always in town, at the café, gossiping with the other old-timers. Or playing golf with his buddies. Attending board meetings for all those charities. Schmoozing at fundraisers. Playing poker. Honestly? It wasn’t that difficult. He was never home.”

  “But he must have been here sometimes,” Juliette said, thinking about how little time she spent at home. She’d have to change her ways if she became Zeke’s wife. She didn’t want her marriage to suffer the same fate her parents’ had.

  “Maybe, but he gave me plenty of time to study. Actually, I was worried when he announced he’d be retiring. I wasn’t sure how I could continue my studies with him home more.” Her lips thinned, and she couldn’t hide her bitterness when she said, “But he made it easy for me. He wasn’t home any more than he’d been when he was working.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell Dad you wanted to go back to school?”

  “I’d told him dozens of times over the years, and he always said the same things: It’s a waste of money. I don’t need a degree. I’d never get a job anyways. I’m too old.”

  Juliette wanted to smack her father for saying those things, but she knew it wasn’t her place. “If he’d known it was so important to you—”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered. He wouldn’t have supported me. He admitted as much when I told him what I’d done.”

  She sighed, still trying to come to terms with everything she’d learned. “So what now?”

  “Now we sell the house, and he gives me my share.” She looked around. “I’ll be moving into that new condo complex by the lake. I’ve already given my deposit and can move in next month.”

  Juliette felt as if she were living in an alternate universe where her mother was someone else and nothing made sense. “Mom, you’re not seeing someone else, are you?”

  Her mother laughed, the sound echoing with bitterness. “No, honey. Your father always said another man would never look twice at me, that I was lucky to have gotten him.”

  Juliette gasped. Her father was the lucky one. He was the pudgy, balding one with beady little eyes and liver spots while her mother was still lovely, with silver hair that highlighted her glowing complexion and a figure that was a testament to her love of walking.

  “You have to know that isn’t true. You’re beautiful.” Juliette’s eyes filled with tears as she wondered whether anyone had ever said those two all-important words to her mother. “You could find love again if you really wanted to.”

  “I appreciate that, honey. But all I really want now is to be alone. At least for now. I may change my mind about that sometime down the road. We’ll see.”

  “I have an idea,” Juliette said, curling her hand around her mother’s forearm. “Why don’t you come stay with me ‘til your condo is ready? It can’t be fun living here with Dad now that he knows your plans. Besides, it would give us time to catch up and for me to get to know the new you.”

  Her face lit up, reminding Juliette of the younger, happier woman her mother had once been. “I’d love that.” She leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “He just watched us leave,” Juliette said to Zeke on the phone later that night. She was tucked in bed, still trying to process what had happened when her father arrived home to find them loading her mother’s luggage into their cars. “He showed no emotion. I mean, I know he’s known for a while, but still… he didn’t even react.”

  Her mother was sleeping in her guest room, but instead
of seeming exhausted or depleted by the turn of events, she had seemed relieved, happy even, that everything was finally out in the open.

  “Wow. How are you handling all this, baby? I mean, they are your parents. You’ve got to be in shock.”

  “I’m…” She was torn and confused. She was proud of her mother for taking a stand, but she was worried about her too. Starting a new life at her age wouldn’t be easy, and Juliette didn’t want her to have any regrets. “Happy for her since this seems to be what she wants. Logically, I know it’s long overdue, especially now that I know the way he’s been treating her, the things he’s been saying to her.” It was verbal abuse as far as Juliette was concerned, but she wasn’t sure labeling it would help her mother heal.

  “But?”

  “She’s not twenty-five anymore. Starting all over at her age won’t be easy.”

  “But it sounds like she’s been giving this a lot of thought, making plans for her future. She’s got her degree, a job lined up, even a condo. She’s already done all the hard work, right?”

  “I guess so.” She sighed. “It just seems unbelievable to me that a thirty-five-year marriage can end with a few words exchanged.”

  “You’re not thinking that could happen to us, are you?”

  It was unnerving that he could already read her mind after such a short time. “I’m thinking it could happen to anyone. I always thought my parents would be together forever. I wasn’t delusional—I knew they didn’t have a perfect marriage—but I thought they’d both made peace with the other’s faults.”

  “Maybe they just weren’t all that compatible to begin with and stuck it out for the sake of—”

  “Me—that’s what my mother said.” Juliette hated that she’d been the reason her mother was unhappy for so many years. “Then it was more about propriety, I think. You know, what would people say? There are still a lot of conservative folks in these parts who believe divorce is a sin.”