by Natalie Ann
Again, with the jumping around. She wondered if death made you scattered, but asking that was a sure way to prove she was nuts herself.
“I don’t know how to fix this with Liam. I’m not happy with him.”
“That was obvious,” her grandfather said, his voice drier than sandpaper on an old weathered door.
“What do you suggest I do?” she finally asked.
“I suggest saying you’re sorry. That you tell him why you reacted that way.”
“I don’t know why.”
“Sure you do.”
“Don’t go,” she said when he started to fade away.
“I’ll never be gone completely, Ali.”
But he was in that moment.
She looked at the clock and saw it was four in the morning. Since her alarm went off at five there was no way she’d get back to sleep, so she got up and showered, and by five she took a risk and sent Liam a text. He’d always said he was an early riser. Might as well check since she had to be to work in a few hours.
It didn’t take long before he responded and said he’d be over in twenty minutes.
By the time he showed up, she had coffee brewed and poured in a cup for him, with eggs on the counter. “Do you want some breakfast?”
“I’m good. What did you want to talk about?”
“Us.”
“I figured as much.”
He didn’t look very welcoming at the moment and she was losing her nerve, but he did come over right away. “I’m sorry. I was completely out of line yesterday.”
“You were,” he said.
“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said.
“No. You didn’t. You’ve done everything right all along and I’m the one throwing obstacles up and making excuses all the time.”
“Why is that?” he asked. His voice wasn’t hard, but more curious and it helped her explain, somewhat.
“I’m scared. The only men ever in my life were my father, and we know what a great example that has been, and my grandfather. Though he was a great role model, he wasn’t as a family man. Or I should say a relationship man. He’d been single since my grandmother died. I’ve never had experience with relationships other than the failed ones in my past.”
It was hard to admit her grandfather was right, that not only had she had no role models, but she wasn’t smart enough to even figure that out on her own and try to change it.
“We all have failed relationships for one reason or another, but that doesn’t mean you judge all of them on that.”
“I know,” she said. “My only excuse is that my emotions are all over the place right now. And when I finally think I’ve got them under control, something pulls the rug out from under me again. This thing with my father just pisses me off like it did so much as a kid.”
“We can’t pick our family, Ali. All we can do is work together to figure this out. I told you to trust me. I’ll make sure everything goes through the way it should. If it takes more time, then that’s fine. We’ll find a way to make it work.”
“Why does it mean so much to you to have the farm?”
“I told you. It’s a place I felt at peace with as a kid. It’s one of my first memories when I moved here and it’s a place my mother and I came to often with my father. I’m trying to find a way to preserve those memories from that time.”
“You’re spending a lot of money to preserve memories.”
He laughed. “I’m a good businessman. I don’t lose money. Don’t worry about that. But this is for my mother too. I told you that. I want her to have a purpose with my father gone and this will help her do that. It’s a win for everyone. Even you.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible,” she said, knuckling a tear.
She said she was sorry for acting the way she did, but it did seem everyone was getting something out of this deal, but her.
“Don’t be selfish.”
Her jawed dropped. “Why do you say that?”
“Because if you think you aren’t getting anything then I’m going to be hurt. I told you I’m trying to keep business and our relationship separate, but I realized last night I can’t do that. They go together too much.”
“They do,” she agreed.
“Your mother is getting to retire and enjoy her life. My mother is getting a new career she never had but always wanted. I’m getting a business that will be profitable for me, but even if it isn’t, it’s the best business move I could have ever made.”
“Because it’s for your mother?” she asked. Now she remembered how kind and sweet he always was, but she also knew, thanks to her stupidity and big mouth, that he would fight back when cornered.
“No. Because of you. This place gave me you and whether you want to admit it or not, you’re getting me in the deal. I’m not going anywhere, Ali.”
She smiled. “Even if I accuse you of something again without thinking?”
“Even then,” he said, pulling her in and giving her a hug.
“Now we just need to figure out what to do about my father.”
“That’s what the lawyers are for,” he said.
Something tugged at the back of her mind. “I’m sure there is something we can do too. I’ll talk to my mother tonight. Maybe we can have dinner at the farm later?”
“That sounds like a good idea. We can put our brains together.”
“I’d like that.”
Trusted Him
Something had been nagging at Ali all day while she was teaching, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Instead she went about her day, instructing the kids, glad that she and Liam resolved their fight, but knowing there might be more in the future. That he wasn’t always so kind and sweet when he was pushed, but that she trusted him and that was all that mattered.
At the end of the day, she drove to the farm and talked with her mother about the situation with her father. She’d been so angry with Liam that she never even called her mother to see how she was dealing with this and was glad she had some time to rectify that before Liam arrived for dinner tonight.
“How are you holding up, Mom?”
“I’m fine, dear,” her mother said, like she always did and Ali realized that her mother was good at hiding what was really going on and Ali was good at pretending nothing was wrong. It was time to change that.
“You’re not fine. Why won’t you ever lean on my shoulder?”
“Because you’re the child and I’m the mother.”
“I’m an adult though.” Even if she didn’t always act it, she realized.
“This isn’t your problem to fix. It’s mine,” her mother said, walking around the kitchen and getting dinner ready.
She walked over and pulled her mother toward her, looking her in the eye. “It’s both of our problems. I love Liam and I know he wants to do what is right for everyone. That means we have to work as a team. That means that you have to clue me in. Both of you.”
“You’re right. Did you give Liam a hard time for not calling you yesterday?”
“Did he tell you that?”
“No. I haven’t spoken to him since he left here. I was upset and he calmed me down. He hugged me when I was crying.” Her mother looked like she was ready to cry again. “I can’t tell you the last time someone hugged me while I cried. Even Grandpa wasn’t always that affectionate.”
It was hard for her to hear that. That maybe her grandfather was only affectionate with her. She’d never noticed it any other time and wondered how long she turned a blind eye to things in her life.
“I’m glad Liam was there for you. I’m glad that he and I resolved our issues yesterday.”
She wanted to confide in her mother about her visits with her grandfather but decided not to. Her grandfather had admitted he only appeared in dreams with her mother. No use bringing it up now.
“Me too. Hold onto him if you can,” her mother said.
“I don’t want to h
old onto him for the wrong reasons. I love him. He loves me. I want what we have to work out, but I want it for us, not for the farm.”
“Those are the right reasons, then, Ali.”
***
Liam showed up for dinner to the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen when he opened the back door. At least the two of them were smiling now.
“What’s so funny?” he asked them both.
“Just remembering stories about my grandfather.”
He wanted to know what they were but was trying to push Anthony out of his mind. He was getting tired of the nighttime visits that were messing with his thoughts.
“That’s nice,” he said.
“Come on in and have a seat,” Belinda said. “Ali, take Liam’s jacket for him. Maybe we can talk about this situation with George and find a solution.”
“I just came from the lawyer’s office now. They’re trying to get a copy of your divorce papers. They’re pretty sure there is no reason George can slow down the sale, or dictate the selling price. The question will be if you owe him anything.”
“Maybe I should give him something to just shut him up or make him go away,” Belinda said.
“No,” Liam said at the same time that Ali did.
“He doesn’t deserve anything,” Ali said. “He wasn’t there for you during your marriage. He wasn’t there for me after the divorce. Did he even pay child support?”
Her mother shrugged. “At times. Not consistent until I had it garnished from his wages. He wasn’t happy about that, but times were tight and I needed the help.”
Liam didn’t like hearing that, and all it did was reinforce what a douche Ali’s father was. “Is there anything you can remember to help? Did he ever say he hated it here? That he wanted no part of it? Anything you can say in court if it comes down to it?”
“He was always saying he hated it here,” Belinda said. “He blamed the farm for our failed marriage. Of course I’m sure that is what he told all those women on the side.”
“You knew?” Liam asked.
Belinda laughed. “Of course I did. Every woman knows eventually if they were cheated on. Maybe I didn’t know at the time it was happening, but I found out. It was more than once; I know that too.”
“Why did you stay married so long?” Ali asked.
“I don’t know. At the time I didn’t know he was cheating and I just thought he was resentful. I wanted to try to make it work, but I wasn’t going to turn my back on my father in the process. Besides, the bakery was built for me. This was my job. I couldn’t walk away from that.”
“You shouldn’t have had to choose,” Liam said.
“If going to court and saying how much he hated it here will help, I’ll gladly do it, but couldn’t he very easily say it caused our divorce and find a way to ask for more?”
“I have no clue,” Liam said. Tyler had already told him potential issues. The biggest one being everyone’s name dragged through the mud, and Liam’s reputation could get a smear on it because of his relationship with Ali. Not that Liam cared or even thought it was anyone’s concern, but he wanted to prevent anything like that from happening for Belinda and Ali. It seemed to him they’d been through enough in life.
“We’ll find a way to get through it,” Ali said, walking up and hugging him. She looked like she needed it as much as he felt he did.
“Best day of my life was knocking you down on the sidewalk,” he said, hoping to get them to smile.
She laughed. “I thought it was coming here when you were a kid.”
“That’s a great day, but the best one was meeting you. I would have met you once the sale of the farm started to go through, but I’m glad it happened before that.”
“Me too,” she said. Then she jerked out of his arms. “Best day of my life.”
“I just said that,” he said, smiling at her.
“No. No. Mom, where are all those old videos of the haunted house that I used to take as a kid?”
“They’re up in the attic, I think. Why?”
“I don’t know. I just need to check something.”
She ran out of the room and Liam went with her to the attic. “What are you looking for?”
She turned and looked at him while she was moving around the boxes. “Videos. I had a thought. Or a...dream last night about the videos I used to take. I remember years ago finding them after my grandfather died and seeing one labeled differently than the rest, but I didn’t have the courage to watch it and see him.”
“What was different?”
“I always labeled them by year, but there was one in there called ‘the best day of my life.’” She was moving boxes and finally said, “Here’s the box of them.”
He lifted it and brought it downstairs for her. He was unsure what could be on it, but he was letting her do her thing right now.
They were in the living room and she was flipping through all the old tapes and finally found it. “Here it is. I wish we could play it though. The camera is broken.”
“Do you still have the camera?” he asked.
“Yeah.” She moved things in the box and pulled the little recorder out. “It won’t record anymore.”
“But it might play. Are the wires in there?”
She grabbed them and handed them over, so he walked to the TV and set everything up. Then he popped the video in and it started to play.
There on the screen were Anthony Michaels and another man.
“Why was Grandpa filming something with Dad?” Ali asked.
Interesting, Liam thought. “Let’s listen and find out.”
“This has gone on long enough,” Anthony said to George.
“What do you mean?” George asked. “And why is the camera on?”
“I’m going to record this. If you don’t want me to, then you can leave and I’ll let Belinda know what is going on.”
“What’s that?” George asked, crossing his arms.
“The women you’ve had on the side for years. I’ve had enough and I’m not going to sit by any longer. You treat her like shit because you’re pissed off about the farm and now you’re dragging Ali into it too. If you’re so sick of being here, then leave.”
“I’m not leaving and giving up my part of this farm.”
Anthony laughed. “What do you think you’re going to get? It’s in my name and unless something happens to me before Ali can take it over on her own, it’s going right to her. I’ll never leave it to Belinda for fear that you’ll get part of it. You can’t get anything if it’s Ali’s.”
Liam heard Ali gasp and reached over to take her hand.
“You can’t do that,” George said.
“I can do anything I want. Including this,” Anthony said, pulling out an envelope.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a certified check for twenty thousand dollars. More than you’ll get if you stay married because the farm will never go to Belinda. But I’ll hand this over now in exchange for you coming clean and dealing with your marriage the way it should be. Don’t make my girls miserable because you think you’re going to get something here. This is your payment for the farm. If you take it, you relinquish any right to ever ask for more. All you have to do is agree right now on camera.”
Liam watched as George took the envelope out of Anthony’s hand, then turned to look at the camera. Everyone could see the date on the bottom of the screen as over thirteen years ago. “Deal.”
The two men shook hands, and George left the room with Anthony walking back and looking in the camera. “Worth every penny of that loan. Best day of my life just now.”
Epilogue
Christmas morning came and Liam and Ali were on the way to the farm. It would be the last Christmas Ali would have there.
The sale of the farm would be happening next week and Jim would be moving here and managing the farm on a daily basis. Her mother found a condo to live in for the moment, as she wanted to travel and that’d be easy maintenance for her new
lifestyle.
Ali also had a feeling her mother might be back to the farm to visit Jim, but no one had really said much about that and Ali wasn’t sure she wanted to know. All she knew was she wanted her mother to be happy.
She and Liam pulled down the long driveway and got out of his truck. Before they could walk to the house, Ali asked, “Can we walk through the orchards quick? I used to do it on Christmas morning with my grandfather. It’s just a different feel out here this time of year and I’d like to do it one more time.”
“We can do that,” Liam said.
He grabbed her hand, the heat of his keeping hers warm since she’d forgotten her gloves at his house when they left.
The two of them walked, fingers entwined, through the orchards, not saying a word. She felt her eyes fill with tears, and though she knew she could come back anytime she wanted, after next week it’d no longer be hers.
Hearing that her grandfather had planned on leaving it to her all along had been heart-wrenching. Part of her felt like she let him down because he never did leave it to her.
She realized now he knew she didn’t want it or couldn’t handle it. She wasn’t sure what was worse.
She stopped suddenly when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She was wide awake, she knew it, as she felt the wind chill. Liam was holding her hand, but he was squeezing it even harder now.
“Tell me you see him too,” Liam whispered.
She turned to look at Liam and saw his eyes fastened on her grandfather leaning against a tree.
“Yes,” she whispered back. “Why aren’t you scared?”
He laughed lightly. “I’m more in shock, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen him.”
“Same here,” she said softly.
“I can still hear you both,” her grandfather said.
“You’re not here,” she said back.
Her grandfather laughed. “You are two of the stubbornest people I know. Fine. I’m not here. Whatever floats your boat. Boy...Liam...” her grandfather said. “What are you waiting for? Do it now so I can watch.”