by Terry Fowler
At times, Leah questioned her lack of desire to separate from her parents but she loved them and their relationship was a good one. As a young adult, she’d made her own decisions. They had encouraged her when she’d come up with the plan for her business. She had done well, and when she turned twenty-five and knew it was past time, she found a place of her own and they helped her with the down payment. There had been ups and downs but she managed to pay her bills.
It just seemed that lately she was growing more dissatisfied with the path her life had taken. No regular job, no husband, not even a significant other—nothing promising in her future. The day-to-day existence might be fine for a kid but as an adult woman she felt the need to do something positive with her life.
What had happened to her? Her life had been pretty much close to perfect. Loving, supportive parents had guided her through the stages of growing up and made certain she knew they were proud of her and her accomplishments. Had they ever despaired that she wouldn’t achieve the things they hoped for?
One thing for certain, her mother wasn’t too thrilled with her at present. With any luck she’d be over this latest faux pas by the time they returned home.
Meanwhile, she needed to take a good look at where she was headed and make changes before it was too late.
* * *
Leah awakened before her alarm clock went off at five the next morning and began to formulate her plan for the Byrd organization. Cecily Byrd had said she needed guidance and Leah didn’t want to seem unprepared. She turned on the lamp and pulled a legal pad from the nightstand to jot down a few things.
Mrs. Byrd had listed the closet as priority but she had also mentioned the filled attic. And her plan to move into a smaller home. Leah had no idea what the woman intended but if the job took longer than a week or so, she’d welcome the extra work.
She tried to calculate the amount of time the project would take but it wasn’t something she could do until she worked with her client. She needed to let Mrs. Byrd set their pace. If other jobs came up, Leah would make arrangements with Cecily to work them into the schedule.
After a while Leah gave up on going back to sleep and went into the kitchen to make coffee. The individual cup coffeemaker had been a gift from her parents. When she balked at accepting the expensive gift, they argued that it was cheaper than coffee shops and she could make her coffee fresh with every cup. Both practical considerations for Leah, who loved coffee.
She stood at the window, looking out into the tiny garden. Lights burned here and there but it appeared that most residents were still cozy in their beds.
Leah sipped her coffee and went over to glance at her parents’ itinerary. They were in Spain through the fifth. Last time they’d talked, her mother had gone on and on about Madrid. They had eaten churros and visited tapas bars and seen so many beautiful sites. They were moving on to Barcelona today.
She was certain they would make a return visit. Maybe with their adult daughter in tow. Leah laughed at the idea. Who knew? Maybe one day she’d be able to afford such a magnificent trip.
After finishing her coffee, Leah rinsed her cup and turned it over in the drain before heading for the bathroom. She showered and dressed, all the while mentally planning what she would do at the Byrd home. By the time she climbed into her car, she had a general plan but knew enough about planning to understand things often went haywire when others were bought into the picture. She made a stop at her parents’ home to fill the water and food bowls, and take Champ for a short walk.
At nine sharp, Cecily opened the door with a smile. “Good morning.”
Leah shifted the flat storage boxes she carried. Most clients were never prepared and she liked to have what they needed. “Good morning to you. Ready for a busy day?”
“I think so. Can I help with those?”
Handing over a couple, Leah understood that Cecily would have reservations. So many people were like that. Eager at first and then hesitant when they reconsidered their decision.
“Don’t worry. Some of the job may be difficult but once it’s done, you’ll be glad you did this. In fact, I predict you’ll find the work extremely liberating.”
Cecily chuckled. “Well, then, let’s get started. I’m definitely in need of liberation.”
She led the way upstairs and opened a set of beautifully carved doors into one of the most gorgeous rooms Leah had ever seen. “Wow.”
Cecily smiled. “I love hearing people say that. I spent a lot of time planning with that reaction in mind.”
Leah turned around slowly, taking it all in. The master suite was larger than her condo. There were three doors along the opposite wall and she found herself wondering what was behind door number 1, 2 and 3. “It’s perfect. You should be an interior decorator.”
“Thank you. I lived in my in-laws’ home for many years and could never have things my way. This place was my first opportunity to pull out all the stops and have my dream home.”
“It is that.” Leah turned back to her. “Okay, what did you want to accomplish first?”
“Well, my primary goal is to empty Joseph’s closet. My closet could do with organization as well. And since I’m considering leasing a condo, I need to look at what I want to take with me.”
“And you’re keeping this house?”
“I’d love it if Josiah married and raised his family here.” A smile blossomed over her sweet expression. “And of course kept a guestroom for me when I come to visit my grandchildren.”
Leah found herself wondering if Josiah was engaged or involved in a significant relationship. He was a handsome guy and certainly old enough to be considering marriage and fatherhood. “If the other rooms are this size, it would be a mother-in-law suite.”
Cecily chuckled. “I love your sense of humor. Josiah isn’t exactly on board with the plan. He has a condo and he’s not serious about anyone that I know about.”
Why did Leah have the feeling her mother shared the same information with her own friends? She knew her parents wanted her to settle down and be happy and it wasn’t like she didn’t want the same thing, but her list of requirements for her future husband was too long to settle.
She leaned the boxes against the bed. “Let me make a suggestion as to where I think we should start.”
* * *
On Tuesday night, the phone rang and Leah carefully screwed the lid back on her black nail polish and checked her toes before she reached for the cordless on the sofa pillow next to her.
“Leah?”
Josiah? Why was he calling? She’d had no interaction with him in her first three days of working with Cecily.
“It’s Josiah Byrd. I wanted to check in and see how you and Mom are getting along.”
Leah doubted that. More likely he wanted to know if she’d spilled the beans about the letter. Or perhaps tied someone to a railroad track. His personality bordered on controlling and if he thought he was going to control her every move, he had another think coming.
“We’re getting along just fine. We have been working in her closet and your mom is motivated. I’ve had to slow her down a time or two just to be sure she wants to toss so much.
Josiah chuckled. “That’s Mom for you. She jumps into every project with both feet.”
“Do you jump in with both feet?” Leah had the feeling Josiah was more reserved
About his decisions and things that affected his life.
“I need more time. I like to think things through.”
“So this job would take longer if I were working with you?” She groaned silently. Why had she asked that?
“Probably. Listen, about the...I’m sorry if I acted weird about the Dad’s friend revelation.”
“You seemed stressed.”
“I don’t want to see my mother hurt.”
Le
ah sighed. How many times did she have to tell him? “I have no intention of hurting Cecily. I didn’t want my mom hurt, either. I wish I’d never laid eyes on that stupid letter.”
“You and me both. I know you didn’t intend... Well, it was an accident but if you slip up while working with Mom, she could be really upset by the truth.”
Why did he think the possibility of another woman in his father’s youth would upset his mom? Most couples had romantic pasts. What made this one different?
“The letter has nothing to do with our current work agreement. I don’t intend to bring it up but that doesn’t mean she won’t ask my parents’ names and if she does I won’t lie to her. Lying goes against my beliefs. I would have to tell the truth.”
“So truth is more important than hurting people?”
His gruff tone bothered Leah. She wasn’t a vicious person. She didn’t go around looking for truths to expose so she could make people cry. “That’s not what I said. I think you’re trying to make a big deal out of nothing. Besides, you’re the one who dropped my business card in her house.”
“You could have said you were busy.”
Easy for him to say. He had money. “Unfortunately, I can’t afford to turn down any job that comes my way. I have bills to pay and your mother wants my help. I think we’re both adult enough to handle this.”
Josiah issued a weary sigh. “Maybe it was meant to be. Where would Mom be without you now?”
More than likely right where she was when they started. “Wanting to change things and not knowing how?”
He grunted in agreement. “I’m depending on you to keep our secret.”
“There is no secret, Josiah. All I know is my mother wrote a letter to your father.”
“Surely you have suspicions.”
Leah disliked the fine edge to his tone. “What exactly bothers you so much about that letter?”
“You should have read it.”
It had nothing to do with her, or him, for that matter. So what if their parents had dated in their youth? They had married other people and moved on with their lives.
“It’s not a big deal, Josiah. People date. Relationships go sour.”
“You don’t know the whole story.”
And she probably never would, but Leah was okay with that. “Neither do you. You read Mom’s point of view. Surely you’ve had arguments before. It’s the past. We don’t get do-overs. We move on. Forgive and forget.”
“Hard to forget things like wives and unwanted babies.”
Leah shook her head. What was he talking about? All his obscure references were enough to drive a person crazy. Who was unwanted? Never mind. It wasn’t her concern. “When do you plan to come over and help with your dad’s things?”
“Can’t you just pack up his clothes and give them away?”
Leah thought about how she’d feel if this were her dad. She’d do this for him and her mom. “Is that really what you want? He was your father. Don’t you feel you owe him and your mother this little thing?”
Leah’s relationship with her father had always been a good one. She’d been her daddy’s little princess. Oh, he chastised her when the need arose, even paddled her when she’d really misbehaved, but Leah knew the spankings had hurt him more than her. She felt remorse for forcing him to take action. He’d never struck her in anger or without explanation. He discussed the whys of his decision and never left her in doubt about his choices.
Her parents had given her everything, not just material possessions but morals and values. They’d taken her to church and had been there when she accepted Jesus into her heart. She’d grown to appreciate their parenting skills and hoped to one day utilize those skills with her children.
“Leah? You there?”
“Yes.” She dragged herself back to their conversation.
“I said I’ll take care of it on Thursday. Mom has lunch with her friends so let’s do it then. Get his things out of the house before she comes home.”
“It would be easier. But you should tell her what you plan. See if she has any objections or if there’s anything she needs to keep. I can tell her what we plan tomorrow if you’d like.”
“No. I’ll talk to her. See what she’s thinking.”
“That’s probably best. She’s held on to his things for a year. There’s something holding her back.”
“It’s all she has left of him. Once they’re gone she’ll be forced to move on. I tell her she doesn’t need them. That she has the memories.”
Leah hoped they were good memories. She liked Cecily. “You really don’t want to do this, do you?”
“Not really,” Josiah said. “That’s the pitfall of being an only child. If I’d had a sister, she could help Mom. She’d be more understanding. Men aren’t equipped to care about things. I’d toss the lot without looking at anything.”
The statement both horrified and fascinated her. “You actually admit to that?”
“I’ll deny it if you tell anyone.”
Leah laughed at his hasty disavowal. “Think of me as your sister. It’s my job to help Cecily get through this without a great deal of regret.”
“I do appreciate your efforts. I’ve talked with Mom a couple of times since you’ve started and she seems different. She’s made so many changes recently.”
“Does that bother you?”
Why did she keep asking him these leading questions? She needed to stop. It wasn’t her job to analyze him.
“It’s not something I think about often but she’s not so old in the scheme of things. She needs to do the things that make her happy.”
“My parents are only slightly older and they’re both so vital and active I don’t even try to keep up with them.”
“You say they’re on a trip?”
Leah immediately warmed to the subject. “Second honeymoon. You should have seen Mom’s face. Daddy has never done anything like this. She was thrilled.”
“Sounds like you are, too.”
“Oh yes, I hoped he’d do something wonderful and he did.”
She heard the phone beep and knew he had an incoming call. “That’s Mom calling. Gotta run. I’ll plan on seeing you Thursday. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”
“Okay. Good night, Josiah.”
* * *
When Leah ended the call, Josiah said into the phone, “Hey, Mom. I was just thinking about you. How do you feel about me taking you out to dinner tomorrow night?”
“That would be lovely.”
“I’ll pick you up around six. Any place in particular?”
“I’ve been craving seafood.”
“Seafood it is. Something on your mind?”
“I just remembered your dad’s friend’s name. It was Ben. They played football together.”
Leah’s dad. Josiah rubbed his forehead. “Why are you thinking about that, Mom?”
“It bugged me. I should have remembered. He dated one of my girlfriends. He was a nice guy. I remember asking Joseph once if he ever heard from Ben and he said something about him not being much of a friend. I thought it strange considering they had been friends since the first grade.”
“Maybe Dad felt that way because they lost touch.”
“As far as I know he never tried to contact Ben after he came home from Chapel Hill. It wouldn’t have been difficult since his parents lived right here in the city. They could have told him how to get up with their son.”
Probably more difficult than she realized, Josiah thought. He doubted his father wanted anything to do with the woman he’d deceived or his former best friend after he learned they were married.
“I’ll have to ask Leah what her dad’s name is tomorrow. Wouldn’t it be delightful if it were Ben?”
Her enthusiasm made Josia
h wonder exactly what his mom was thinking. “Did you have a crush on this guy or something?”
She laughed at his question. “Oh, no, nothing like that. I only had eyes for Joseph. It makes the world seem smaller when we connect with people from our past through others. Don’t you find it intriguing that Leah could be your father’s friend’s daughter?”
Josiah defined his reaction as frightened rather than intrigued. Ever since he’d initiated their first meeting, he’d had a feeling the truth would come out and didn’t know how to stop it from happening.
He could only hope his mother would forget again but somehow he didn’t think his luck would hold. Should he warn Leah? Give her the opportunity to get her story together? No, he decided. It would be more natural if she were surprised by the news.
* * *
The following evening, Josiah pulled out his mother’s chair and waited until she was settled before going around to his own seat. “Did you make good progress today?”
Cecily shook out the napkin and settled it across her lap. “Some. We’re still working in my closet. When we had the house plans drawn up, your father insisted on his own closet. Said he was tired of digging through my things to find his. I’m beginning to understand what he meant.
“I never realized how much was in there. Leah joked about possessions growing to meet the available space and mine certainly have.”
Josiah shrugged thoughtfully. “Maybe we’re all hoarders by nature.”
They paused to give the waiter their drink and food orders. He returned a few minutes later with the iced tea and a basket of hush puppies.
Josiah blessed the food and munched on one of the crispy, fried, corn bread pieces. “I’m going over to work with Leah on Thursday while you’re at lunch with your friends. We’re going to empty Dad’s closet.”