by Paula Kay
Blu and Chase had gotten married just six months ago. He’d moved in well before that—before Kylie was born—but Gigi was sure that all of it did mean a lot of changes for Jemma.
“She sure seems fine to me. Happy as ever with Chase, and I’ve seen how sweet she is with her sister.”
“She really is, and I’m grateful for that—especially grateful to my mom. It’s been so helpful having her with us through all of the transitions. I had no idea how challenging the home schooling would be, and I honestly don’t think I’d have been able to do it without her. But she’s a natural at teaching. I will say that.” Blu smiled as she talked about her mother.
It was so wonderful for Gigi to see how much their relationship had grown over the past few years. It had been a bumpy road, but one that had seemed to be playing out amazingly well when all was said and done.
“I do hope that you told Linda that she was invited this weekend. She’s always welcome here any time.”
“I did, yes. And thank you. She does know that and really enjoys her visits with you two. We’d made the decision together that it would be a nice break for her to stay home this weekend. She doesn’t really get that much time to herself these days, so I thought it might be nice for her. I even surprised her with a little spa day package, which I really hope she’ll take the time to enjoy.”
“Well, that does sound lovely.”
“We’ve got a busy month coming up. Mom and I will head to London with the girls for a big fashion show and some meetings I have scheduled. Chase will join us later, and I’ve booked us all into a place in the south of France for a few weeks. You and Douglas should join us. Sorry, I’ve been meaning to ask you about it. There’s plenty of room, and I think it will be very nice and relaxing. I know how busy you both are these days.” Blu winked and Gigi got the joke, as she’d told her on more than one occasion that she’d been feeling a little bored.
“Thanks for the invite. I’ll run it past Douglas, but I feel like Europe may be a few months away for us. I was also talking to Lia about a possible visit. Are you going there too?”
“Yes, I think we’ll probably fly to Italy before we come back. It seems a shame not to, and I know that she’s dying to see Kylie again. So—”
“Mom!” Jemma burst into the room, interrupting the conversation. “Chase and Douglas are not being good sports.”
“Jemma, that’s pretty rude, you know. You just interrupted our conversation—and you might come in to say hello first.”
“Sorry, Mom. Hi, Gigi.” She took a step to put her arms around Gigi’s waist.
“What’s the problem, honey?” Gigi asked.
“Well, Chase and Douglas beat me at the game we were playing, and I don’t think it was fair at all because they’ve had a lot more practice than what I’ve had.”
“What game is that?” Gigi asked, knowing before doing so that Douglas had gotten the horseshoes out, a game that he never tired of playing with his buddies over a few beers.
“The horseshoe game—and I suck!”
“Jemma Lynne! Watch your mouth!” Blu scolded her loudly and then went to pick up Kylie, who was stirring in her playpen.
“Sorry.” Jemma looked from Blu to Gigi. “I’m bored. What can I do, Gigi? Will you take me shopping?”
“We’re not here to go shopping.” Blu was shaking her head and giving Gigi a look which Gigi took to mean that it was in reference to their earlier conversation about Jemma’s behavior issues.
“But Mom, you said that you would buy me a new outfit. I haven’t gotten anything new all week.”
Gigi was shaking her head, wondering at what point Jemma had started acting so spoiled. She hated the thought and she did love the child dearly, but it was not a nice display of attitude at all. Blu really does have her hands full with her if she doesn’t get on top of that. And as quickly as she had the thought, for some reason her mind turned towards the orphanage that she’d read about. Jemma needed to visit a place like that—needed to see how nice she really had it and that not all children were as lucky as she had been. But she didn’t say any of these things out loud. It was none of her business—not until Blu asked for her advice, anyways.
Gigi turned to Jemma before Blu could reprimand her again for her attitude. She knew the child was very close to being sent to her room. “Jemma, how about if you play with Kylie for a few minutes so that your mom and I can finish up here. Then I was hoping that you would bake some cookies with me. I have a new recipe to try that’s full of all kinds of sweet ingredients.”
Jemma nodded her head, smiled, and went across the room to take her sister from her mother’s arms, seemingly content in the moment to let the adults finish their fitting.
“Sorry about that. See what I mean?” Blu said to Gigi under her breath.
Gigi nodded. “She’ll be okay. Just don’t let it get any worse.” She laughed, trying to make light of it.
Chapter 7
Gigi and Blu were quiet for a few moments, each lost in her own thoughts as Blu worked to finish her adjustments to the dress. Finally, when Gigi noticed that Jemma was playing with Kylie out of earshot, she turned to Blu to speak about what was on her mind.
“Do you ever think that all of the money we have is a bad thing? I mean, I know it’s different for you—because it’s not just the inheritance but also your success as a designer—but for me, I don’t know. Sometimes it still feels odd.”
Blu looked up at her as she placed one last pin along the hem of Gigi’s dress. “You can step down now. I’m finished. Let’s sit here for a few minutes, as long as Jemma and Kylie seem content.”
The two women crossed the room to sit at the small table by the window, and Gigi waited for Blu to express her thoughts.
“Do I think the money in itself is a bad thing? No, I don’t. But I think I do know what you mean. I think it has changed things for me and Jemma. I’d be blind not to admit that it’s changed her—that I’ve let that happen, I mean. It’s weird because even when I see myself doing it—spoiling her—I know that it’s not good. But it’s hard to not want to give her all of the things that I never could before. Things that I never had myself, growing up. Does that make sense?”
Gigi looked at Blu carefully before she spoke. “I do understand it. Yes. But I also think that Jemma is going to have some problems—or maybe not problems exactly, but she is acting a bit spoiled for sure, if I’m being honest.”
“You can always be honest with me.” Blu smiled, grasping her friend’s hand in her own. “I know that you only want the best for Jemma. You’ve always just wanted the best for both of us. And I appreciate that so much.”
“Well, I suppose that Jemma is not really much different from Ari when she was her age. I mean, I loved that child, but she would have been called spoiled by anyone.” Gigi laughed, thinking of the tantrums that the young Arianna used to have when she didn’t get something that she wanted. Yes, she had turned out okay—in the end. But then again, how would she have been without the accident—without her own illness and being faced with her death. She’d been forced to look at her life differently, to realize that many more things had mattered to her than the material wealth she’d grown up with.
“Yes, you do have a point about Ari. God, my first impression of her was that she was a pretentious snob. Definitely not someone who would want anything to do with someone like me.” Blu laughed. “I’m sure that we were quite the odd pair of friends to others.”
Gigi smiled. “Ari loved you so much, Blu.” Her voice was quiet and sure. “You were one of the best things to happen to her, and you came into her life at just the right time—who knows the path she might have gone down had she kept hanging out with all of her friends back then who only wanted to party? But she became just a bit more serious about her life once she met you.”
Blu laughed in response. “Well, she still had her days, for sure. That girl could party with the best of them.” Blu’s voice got quieter too as the memories came. “B
ut I know what you mean. We were a good team, she and I.”
The two women were quiet for a moment, and Gigi guessed that Blu was being flooded with memories of Arianna, just as she herself was.
Blu looked at her intently. “So back to you, though—and what you were saying about the money. Do you think it’s been a bad thing for you?”
Gigi thought about the question being directed back to her. “No, I wouldn’t say it’s bad necessarily. And I know that even without the house and the money that Ari left me, Douglas and I would live a very good life. He’s worked hard for all of the savings that he’s accumulated for retirement. And it’s not that I don’t appreciate everything. I do.” Gigi sighed.
“But?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I sound foolish and a bit ungrateful even talking about it.”
“Gigi, no one would ever accuse you of being ungrateful. That’s not who you are.”
“I guess I’m just feeling a little unsettled. I’m not feeling content, if that makes sense. Sure, I’m happy with Douglas and the time that we now have to spend together, but I’m not so sure there’s a lot of meaning in my life besides that; and I guess it’s making me feel a bit depressed lately, if I’m being honest.”
Blu frowned and Gigi felt the need to put her friend’s mind at ease.
“Oh, I shouldn’t have used the word depressed, I guess. It’s not as bad as all that. I promise.”
Blu nodded and seemed to accept her explanation as Gigi continued.
“I just feel a bit empty. Like there’s something missing. I thought that maybe getting a part-time job—with another family—might help, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not what I’m looking for either.”
“What does Douglas think about everything?” Blu asked.
“Oh, the poor man. He’s probably at his wit’s end with me, honestly. But other than the odd argument now and again, he’s just trying really hard to please me—to help me find the thing that’s going to make a difference.”
“Hmm.”
“What’s hmm? I’m open to any thoughts and suggestions.” Gigi smiled at Blu, encouraging her to voice her opinion.
“Have you thought about volunteering or something? Or maybe getting more active with one of the charities that you and Douglas support?
“It’s funny you should mention that, actually. Let me go get something to show you.”
Gigi returned after a few seconds with the magazine article that Douglas had shown her a few days earlier. “I can’t get the faces of these kids out of my mind.”
Blu skimmed the article and Gigi waited for her response.
“I can see why. What an amazing thing this couple has done.” Blu was looking at Gigi intently. “What are you thinking? It does say that they take volunteers.”
“Oh, no. I wasn’t thinking about that, really, at all. I mean, maybe if it was just me; but I don’t think that Douglas would ever go for it. Heck, in reality I’m sure that I’m too old to be doing something like that. But—“
“But what? And no, you are certainly not too old. Not by a long shot,” Blu said.
“But I just can’t stop thinking about it, I guess—the kids, I mean. It’s really done something to me for some reason.”
“It’s that motherly instinct in you.” Blu smiled wide. “That doesn’t surprise me in the least.”
Gigi nodded. She supposed that was it. The feeling that she’d been having to want to scoop those kids up in her arms.
“Well, we can definitely donate to the organization, and we will do that. Douglas is making some phone calls to find out exactly what their needs are.”
“Maybe there is something that you can spearhead here—in the U.S.—to help raise money and awareness for it. That seems like just the type of project that could cure this sense of boredom you’ve been having, my dear.” Blu winked.
“That is actually a great idea. Maybe you’re right about that.” Gigi reached over to pull Blu in for a hug. “Oh I’m so glad that you’re here. I feel better already for having talked to you.”
“Any time, my friend. And I’m glad we’re here too. I’ve missed you.”
Chapter 8
Gigi found herself missing the chatter of Jemma beside her while she cleared the dinner dishes from the table. It had been a great weekend, and the house now felt so quiet with just her and Douglas alone again. She’d invited Blu to stay on longer, but they had the upcoming London trip to prepare for, so the weekend visit had been a quick one. They’d gotten the fitting for Gigi’s dress done, and Blu had promised to ship it to her within a few days so that she’d have it in time for the event later that week.
“Honey, come here for a sec. Quick.” Douglas was calling out to her from the family room where he’d disappeared for a drink and some television after dinner.
“What is it? Are you okay?” Gigi’s heart had lurched for a moment as she rushed into the living room to find Douglas engrossed in something on the TV.
“Sorry. I’m okay. I want you to see this.” He pointed toward the TV screen. “They’re doing a special news segment on volunteering and look at what it’s featuring.”
Gigi looked up at the screen and when she did, she saw little faces similar to those of the article about the orphanage in Guatemala. “Place of Hope,” she read out loud what was being displayed across the bottom of the screen. “Is that the same orphanage as the one in the article?”
“Yes, can you believe it? Honey, I think the universe is trying to tell us something about this orphanage.” He winked at Gigi and pulled her by the hand to sit down in his lap as they finished watching the segment together.
Gigi’s heart was racing. She thought the universe was trying to tell her something, alright. It was the kids. She couldn’t stop thinking about them.
“That is quite the coincidence, isn’t it?” she said to Douglas after the program had ended. “What do you think we should do, honey?” She was curious as to what his thoughts were about the whole thing.
“I think I should make some phone calls tomorrow. I want to call Greg’s grandson first and talk to him about a donation, and maybe he knows of someone that he can put me in touch with—to see what their real needs are, I mean. I’d like to make a significant donation—if that’s okay with you, darling.”
Gigi was nodding her head. “Yes, of course. I think we should, too—”
“Okay, spill it. But what? I can see it in your face, hon.” He was teasing her, and she loved that look on his face.
“Well.” She glanced at him to see that she had his full attention. “What about what they were talking about on the news show?”
He looked at her with a question in his eyes. “What’s that?”
“The volunteer part of the program.” Gigi was almost afraid to bring it up—she hadn’t really thought about it much until now, but after her chat with Blu and then the TV program, something about it felt oddly right. “I mean, who even knows if they’d accept us? We’re probably too old.” She laughed before Douglas had a chance to respond. “I’d actually said as much to Blu earlier when we were talking about it.”
“You were talking about the orphanage with Blu?”
“Yes. Well, to be honest, she’d asked how I was doing and we were talking about ideas for getting me out of this li’l funk I’ve been in.” Gigi leaned over and kissed Douglas on the cheek before continuing. “So I showed her the article about the orphanage. We were mostly talking about donations and maybe starting a fundraising project for it—you know, as a way for me to focus on something positive.”
“As a way for you to stop feeling so bored with your retirement—and your old man?” Douglas winked, but Gigi wanted to be sure that there wasn’t hurt beneath his words.
“Oh, honey. I promise you that it has nothing to do with you. You make me insanely happy. I mean that.” She squeezed his hand and kissed him on the lips.
“Hey, I think the fundraising project is a great idea. I can ask about it when I make s
ome phone calls tomorrow, if you like.”
Gigi was nodding her head. “Okay. That would be good.” She looked Douglas in the eye.
“And?”
“And does that mean that you are totally opposed to the idea of volunteering?” She felt a bit foolish even asking. Even in her mind, she could think of a list of reasons why it was a bad idea.
“Oh, honey. I really don’t think that would be a good idea for us. I mean, traveling in Guatemala would not be anything like travel in Europe. I think it would be hard for us.
“I know. I’m sure you’re right. It was just a crazy idea after seeing it on TV.” Gigi tried to hide the disappointment that she was feeling. She tried to talk herself into feeling something other than what her heart had been telling her.
“Let’s see how I make out after my call tomorrow. I’m sure we can find a way to be involved from here. I promise you. We’ll find a good compromise, okay, honey?”
He kissed her then and Gigi laid her head back against his chest, willing the faces of the children to leave her mind for the rest of the evening.
Gigi tried to focus on the gossip Evelyn was telling her. They hadn’t had coffee in ages and she really did want to catch up with her friend, whom she hadn’t seen for so long. She’d known Evelyn for as long as she’d worked for the Sinclairs. They’d shared many a gossip session back in the day—about which housekeeper was about to lose her job, whose boss was having an affair, and any number of day-to-day things that only “the help” tended to know about. But today she just couldn’t focus. Or maybe she really didn’t care all that much anymore.
“So, what’s wrong with you?” Evelyn said, breaking into the scattered thoughts that Gigi was having. “You don’t seem like yourself and you’ve hardly said two words the whole time we’ve been here.”