Emily shook a dust rag out the open door. “Sure, if I could find her. I haven’t seen her since she ate a bowl of cereal earlier and left her dirty dish in the sink.”
“Allie,” Susan called out from the hallway, “can you please come help us?”
Allie was loudly playing the piano, one tune after another, ignoring the noise around her. Mostly it was Mozart or Shubert, but then she started playing Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” a mournful tune at best.
Susan started to get up, but Caroline held up her hand. “Let me.”
Susan nodded and went back to her check-off list.
Caroline leaned into the archway of the music room. “Allie, if you won’t help us, could you at least play something more upbeat? Mom’s frazzled, no one’s seen Megan, and you’re driving me crazy!”
Allie didn’t reply, but instead began playing a version of the pop culture song “Home.”
Caroline lifted her shoulders to tell her mother, I tried.
Susan rolled her eyes.
****
Sharlene sat in the study in Daniel’s penthouse, working hard on her to-do list. She had so many ideas about how to redecorate the Belford mansion that she could barely get them down on paper fast enough.
“What are you working on?” Daniel looked sideways at her list as he carried another packed box into the room.
Sharlene looked up. “Daniel, darling, you don’t need to do that. We have people for that.”
He shrugged. “I like the exercise. So what is it that you’re writing?”
“Just a list of things I need to remember to do once we get settled into the house. Now about the piano…”
Daniel dropped the box and its contents rattled. “What about it?”
Sharlene winced, hoping the brand new and very costly designer glass vase in that box wasn’t in pieces. “Well, obviously the piano has to go, dear. It’s right in the middle of my—our—formal living room, or at least it will be once the contractors knock that wall down to open up the space. And entertaining will be impossible with that monstrosity in the way.”
“Monstrosity!” Daniel’s mouth dropped open. “It’s an expensive grand piano. And it belongs to my daughter. Or have you forgotten?”
Sharlene’s eyes narrowed, but she composed herself. “No, of course not, darling, but really—just how often will Allison find time to play it now? Surely she’ll be getting a job for the summer. Why don’t you just sell it?”
Daniel stared at her and then shook his head. “No. I’ve let you make all the decisions about the house up till now, but I have to put my foot down about this. The piano stays.”
Sharlene gritted her teeth and went back to her list. Get rid of piano.
****
“Knock knock! Sharlene? Are you here?”
“Richard?” Caroline knew it was possible that Richard would stop by today—after all, he told her Sharlene had insisted—but with all the commotion she wasn’t sure if she’d actually heard his voice. She came out of the kitchen, a half-eaten slice of pizza in her hand, took one last bite, and tossed the rest of it into a bulging heavy-duty trash bag wrapped around a nearby door handle. She was wearing jean shorts which fit loosely on her petite frame, a white t-shirt with a blue Colts insignia on its front, and flip-flop sandals. She looked down in embarrassment at the dust smudges on her shirt and shorts, swiped at the pizza sauce on her nose and smiled self-consciously when she saw Richard standing in the hallway. “I thought I heard your voice. Sorry I’m such a mess.”
“Here, you’ve got a little…” Richard started to reach toward the sauce on her nose but quickly retrieved his hand.
Caroline blushed and quickly finished brushing it away herself, wiping her hand on her pants. “Dad and Sharlene aren’t here yet, but you’re welcome to wait. Emily ordered in pizza. There’s plenty left if you want some.”
“No thanks. Is there anything I can do to help?” Richard looked around at the mostly empty rooms. “I guess I’m a little late, huh?”
“For moving, yeah, but actually, you could help me find Megan. Emily was looking for her earlier. She didn’t show up for pizza, and if she won’t eat that means she’s really upset. I’ve looked everywhere I can think of, and I know she’s not outside, so she’s got to be hiding somewhere.” Caroline watched Richard watching her, and it sent her pulse racing, but she figured he was staring because she didn’t look like her usual put-together self. Right?
“She won’t come out for me, but maybe if you go upstairs and look around—well, you know she’s always liked you, ever since that summer I interned at Meadows Advertising and Megan was about thirteen.”
Richard nodded. “You brought her with you to the office because…”
Caroline laughed. “You can say it, she was driving Mom crazy.”
“Well, we did bond over our mutual love of art. Does she still want to be an architect?”
“Oh, yeah, more than ever.” Caroline did a visual search of the entryway. “I just don’t know where she’s been all morning. I wonder if this is her way of sticking her head in the sand.” Caroline hadn’t actually thought about that until it popped out of her mouth, but now it made sense. Megan didn’t want to move, and being just a kid, she probably thought hiding would make it all go away. Caroline bounded up the stairs, Richard close on her heels.
“Megan?” Richard called as he reached the second-floor landing. “Hey, kiddo, where are you?” He checked all the near-empty bedrooms one-by-one and even peeked in a few closets. He went back out into the hallway to find Caroline standing with her hands on her hips, a puzzled look on her face.
“What about her bedroom?” Richard asked. “Did you check in there?”
“A few times.” Caroline shook her head. “Nothing, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t sneaked in and out when I wasn’t looking.”
Caroline followed Richard as he walked into Megan’s empty bedroom, the afternoon sunlight streaming through the open blinds. There were stains on the walls where posters had been removed, an extension cord left plugged into an outlet, and indentations in the plush carpet where her furniture had stood for years. The closet door was ajar.
He smiled, pointed, and whispered, “Caroline, I think I’ve found that missing item you’re looking for.”
Caroline nodded, tiptoed across the room and peeked in. “Megan?”
“Go away.”
“Megan, come on out, okay?” Caroline slowly pushed the closet door the rest of the way open. There sat Megan curled up in the corner, dressed in khaki shorts and her Willowby Hall spirit t-shirt, clutching a large book.
“Hi, Megan!” Richard looked over Caroline’s head as he peeked into the closet.
“Megan, come on out and let’s talk,” Caroline said.
“No way. This is my room. It’s always been my room. And now Sharlene’s gonna turn it into a closet!”
Richard exchanged glances with Caroline. “A closet?” he whispered.
Caroline lowered her voice. “Yes.”
Richard shook his head but turned back to Megan. “What’s that book you’re holding?”
Megan was tightly clutching a coffee-table book with pictures of historic Indiana architecture. “I love this book!” Megan sniffled. “Mom gave it to Dad for Christmas a few years ago. Remember how disappointed Dad looked when he saw that book, Caroline?”
“Yeah, I remember. Dad just didn’t appreciate it like you do.”
“Can I see it, Megan?” She reluctantly handed it over to Richard. He thumbed through a few of the exquisitely photographed pages, complete with pictures of both interiors and exteriors of some of Indiana’s oldest homes, and then handed it back to her.
“Dad just set it down and went on opening other presents, but I picked it up and spent ages looking at the gorgeous houses. I can’t leave it here!” Megan wiped her tears on the hem of her shirt, smearing mascara everywhere on her face and t-shirt, and clutched the book even tighter. “I use it for inspiration in my drawin
g. Mom says it has to stay here because it’s Dad’s.”
Caroline winked at her sister. “Well, I say we just take it with us. Dad won’t miss it, and Mom probably won’t notice it in all the mess in the new house. If she does, we’ll just tell her it got packed by mistake.”
Megan seemed to perk up a little. “You think?”
“You know, Megan,” Richard said, “I’ve got some great art books at the office that you might enjoy. What if I send some of them home with your sister, and you can keep those as long as you like?”
“Really?” Megan smiled at him and finally stood up and walked out of the closet, still clutching the book.
Caroline hugged her sister. “Thank you,” she mouthed over Megan’s head.
Richard smiled, blushed, and turned away. “I think I hear Sharlene.”
****
The front door flew open, and Sharlene made a grand entrance, followed by Daniel loaded down with suitcases and her handbag. “Hello?” she called out. The nearly empty house echoed back her greeting. Nothing left. She smiled to herself in satisfaction. Except for that! Sharlene frowned as she heard Allie pounding the piano keys. “Allison, dear,” she called out, “could you hold that down, please?” The music played on and Sharlene groaned.
Richard peered over the upstairs railing, waved at his sister in the entry hall, and came downstairs to join her. He gave her a quick hug, shook hands with Daniel, then took one of the overstuffed soft-sided suitcases from him. “I guess this goes in the master bedroom, huh?” He didn’t wait for an answer but took it directly up the stairs.
Caroline passed Richard on the stairway just as Megan ran down the hall and locked herself in a bathroom. Caroline sighed. “Hi, Dad.” She walked down the rest of the stairs to kiss her father on the cheek and mumbled, “Sharlene.”
Susan and Emily came out of the kitchen. Daniel shifted his footing, looked up at the chandelier dangling from the cathedral ceiling, put Sharlene’s oversized Gucci handbag on the bottom step of the staircase, and then stepped out of the line of fire between his current wife and his ex-wife.
“Caroline, darling, lovely to see you,” Sharlene said with an air kiss. “Can’t you get your sister to stop that racket?”
“That ‘racket,’ Sharlene,” Caroline said through gritted teeth, “is Mozart.”
“Daniel, you’re looking well.” Susan slowly turned her back on Sharlene and faced her ex-husband. “We’re just about out of your way here. Caroline was rounding up Megan a few minutes ago, and I guess you can tell where Allie is.”
“Hello, Daniel,” Emily said, an amused look on her face.
Sharlene was getting quite annoyed at all the useless small talk. She had lots to do and was itching to get started on the makeover of this house. “Susan, dear, it’s lovely to see you again. And your friend, too. Please don’t let us keep you any longer than necessary.” She waved her hand to dismiss them. “Our movers will be arriving shortly and goodness knows this place needs some updating, so I have to call the decorator right away. Besides, I’m sure you have unpacking to do in your new little cottage. Where is it again? Oh, yes, Rosslyn Village. How quaint.”
“Daniel always liked the decorations in this house,” Susan shot back.
Daniel coughed and shifted nervously from one foot to the other. “Hey, what’s a guy got to do to get a beer around here?”
Sharlene looked from Daniel to Susan and then back again in bewilderment. She saw Susan as a mousy housewife and boring school teacher, so what Daniel had ever seen in her was beyond comprehension. Despite her fancy college education, Susan had nothing to offer. As far as Sharlene was concerned, Susan was never the kind of wife Daniel needed for his rightful place in society. He certainly traded up when he married me.
“Now where is my brother? I’m sure he’s just as impressed with this house as Grandmother will be, once I’ve got it all set to rights.”
In truth, Sharlene doubted Grandmother would be fazed by the opulence in this house. She and Richard had been raised mostly by their widowed father and his opinionated mother, herself a widow. Sharlene had resented Grandmother Adele’s interference in her social life at school. Adele wanted her to get involved in clubs and athletics, and Sharlene only wanted to attend parties and dances. The more lavish the party, the better she liked it. Back then her friends pretty much assumed she was the life of every social event. Sharlene briefly attended community college until her father asked her to work at Meadows Advertising. Even without a degree, Sharlene proved to be a natural advertising saleswoman, bringing in lucrative business from around town and the surrounding counties.
“Susan, dear, I don’t want to keep you. If I find anything you’ve left behind…” Sharlene glanced at her husband and bit her tongue before she blurted out that she’d throw it out. “Of course I’ll see that you get it back.”
Richard came back down the stairs with his arms free of baggage, noticed the tension in the room, and grabbed his sister’s arm. “Come on Sharlene, let’s go look at the garden.”
“I’ve seen the garden, Richard,” Sharlene said as she jerked her arm away, “and I’m aware of how much work needs to be done out there.”
Richard threw an I tried look at Caroline, who smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
“Emily, are you ready to leave?” Susan turned on her heel and reached for the box of bed linens Caroline had left by the front door.
“Beyond ready.” Emily flashed Sharlene a wicked smile as she picked up an expensive designer lamp on the entryway table.
“Emma, dear, are you sure you want to take that lamp?” Sharlene lunged for it, but Emily ducked out of her reach and marched triumphantly out the door with it.
“Daniel…” Sharlene whined.
“Where’s Megan?” Daniel asked Caroline, ignoring his wife. “I haven’t seen her in days.”
“Or possibly weeks,” Caroline muttered.
Sharlene narrowed her eyes at Caroline. “Isn’t that a bit harsh, dear? Your father’s a terribly busy man.”
“Megan?” Daniel called out. His voice echoed in the empty stairwell.
Megan appeared at the top of the stairs. She was now wearing an oversized hooded sweatshirt with her khaki shorts, a noticeable bulge in its middle.
“Hi, Dad.” Megan dejectedly walked down the stairs, dragging each foot on the way.
Daniel put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a tentative hug. Megan pulled away, hugging her arms tightly around herself.
“Megan, darling, how nice to see you. Aren’t you a bit overdressed for the heat?” Sharlene tossed an exasperated glance at her other stepdaughter. “And Caroline, really, what is so funny?”
Daniel tried again to hug Megan, but she backed away from him. “Hey, Megs, what if you and I have dinner one night soon? Just the two of us.”
Megan brightened up. “Okay. When?”
Sharlene stepped between them. “Daniel, you know that isn’t possible right now,” she said. “We have dinner commitments already lined up, and of course you’re out of town on business next week. Maybe after we’re settled in here, but really it’s not a good time right now.”
Daniel shrugged and took a few steps toward the living room. “Allie?” he called. “Allie, can you leave off that playing a minute? I haven’t seen you in months.”
The music stopped, and Allie appeared in the doorway, sheet music clutched in her arms, her jaw set tight and a glum look on her face. Daniel held out his arms, inviting her to come give him a hug. Instead, Allie walked right by him and toward the door, never making eye contact.
“Allie?” Daniel tried again as she swept by him.
She stopped in the open doorway and turned to face him. “Take care of the piano, Dad. It needs tuning.”
“Allie, listen, hon. You’re welcome to use the piano any time.”
Sharlene wanted to scream, but again she calmly reminded him, “Daniel, that isn’t going to work either. The contractors will be here, and the piano will ju
st have to be covered with a tarp and moved aside until they’re done. I don’t see how Allison could possibly practice under those circumstances.”
“Well, then, Allie, how about when the renovations are done?” Daniel asked. “Allie?”
Allie grabbed Megan by the arm and stormed out the door.
Sharlene smirked. Mission accomplished.
****
Susan looked around the new house. Boxes were stacked everywhere, furniture left sitting askew, and at that moment it didn’t seem possible that order would ever be restored. The house had just the one family room, an eat-in kitchen, a small master bedroom with full bath, two other tiny bedrooms and a hallway shower/bath for the girls’ use, and finally a screened-in back porch that needed the piles of leaves swept out. It’s going to be an adjustment, that’s for sure. At least the previous owners had completely renovated it, with all new kitchen cabinets and appliances, fresh paint and laminate flooring, and new bathroom fixtures. The plumbing and electrical systems had been updated in the fifty-year-old house, and there were some lovely large trees in the fenced backyard.
Maybe we can get a dog. Daniel had always hated dogs, and Megan had always wanted one.
Emily found Susan gazing at the backyard. “Maybe you can adopt a dog.”
Susan laughed. “It’s like you can read my mind.” She gave her best friend’s shoulders a squeeze. “Emily, I can’t thank you enough for all your help these last couple of days.”
Emily smiled. “That’s what friends are for.”
“I imagine you’d like to be on the freeway headed to Chicago about now. You’re welcome to stay the night, but this isn’t the mansion of yore. I do have a free sofa, though.”
Emily chuckled. “Truthfully, I was thinking that if I got started right away I could be home in time for a late supper with Sara. Would you mind?”
“Of course not.” Susan hugged her friend again, then went back to staring at the boxes stacked everywhere in the small family room.
Emily watched her in silence for a moment. “What’s wrong?”
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