by Terry Fowler
“When he was in high school, his father didn’t think Joseph needed to attend college. Jim had a high school diploma and a successful real estate business. He decided Joseph could do the same. But Joseph wanted to escape his father’s home. He played football and got a scholarship. He told his father it was stupid to reject a free education and Jim reluctantly agreed, so after graduation, Joseph went off to Carolina.”
Cecily shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I didn’t hear from him often but when I did, all he could talk about was how much he enjoyed being on his own. Then he’d feel guilty and say that I could come there, too, when I graduated. He always told me he loved me before we hung up. It was enough to hold me until his next phone call.”
“You didn’t date anyone else?”
She shook her head. “No one ever asked. They knew I was Joseph’s girl. He came home that summer to work for his dad and it was just like old times except that we didn’t have to sneak around to see each other. My parents finally agreed I could date. I’d missed him and was so happy he was home. But all too soon summer ended and he went away again.
“It was my senior year and I was excited by the possibilities. That spring when my prom came up, I pleaded with him and Joseph promised he would come home that weekend to escort me.
“My parents agreed that I could spend the night with my girlfriends and, well, Joseph and I made a decision that changed the path of our future.” She blushed with the admittance.
“He went back to college to finish out the year and my head was filled with thoughts of that night, graduation, and completing college paperwork. And then I realized Josiah was on the way. I needed to tell Joseph and my parents but decided to wait until he came home so we could tell them together.”
Leah considered how frightened Cecily must have been and her decision to wait to share the news.
“It was only a couple of months but I hadn’t counted on my mom’s eagle eye. She figured it out before I could tell her. Then she told my dad and they confronted me. Dad told Joseph’s parents and things escalated out of control.
“Next thing I knew, Josiah is back home and we’re sitting on the love seat at the Byrds’ home listening to all four parents tell us what we were going to do.
“As far as they were concerned, we’d made one wrong decision and they had no intention of allowing us to make another. We would be married in May after Joseph finished out the school year. Joseph would finish college here at home. His parents had the larger house so they decided we would live with them until Joseph could provide us with a home.
“His father wanted him to go to work right away but my parents argued that he would be a better provider with a college education. They offered to pay for his last two years. I’ll never forget how Jim Byrd made some comment about his son being a lucky boy and managing to get his free education despite his stupidity. That really hurt Joseph.”
He had hurt Cecily, too, Leah thought.
“I finished high school but there was no college for me. Maxine Byrd wasn’t in the best of health so I managed the house and took care of her and Josiah after he was born.”
“You took care of your mother-in-law?”
Cecily nodded. “She had breathing problems. Josiah adored her. He still misses his grandmother.”
“But not his father and grandfather?”
“Joseph and Josiah did not have a typical father-son relationship. Joseph was always too busy or too tired to be bothered by the little boy who idolized him. I did everything I could to encourage Joseph to provide a positive and loving environment but he didn’t. Josiah had no foundation to grow on.
“By the time Josiah’s teen years rolled around, it was too late. The two of them couldn’t be in the same room without arguing. Joseph had the talk with Josiah and told him we’d made a mistake. Josiah didn’t take that well. He decided his father hated him. He did some things that nearly got him in over his head but then he settled down, graduated and opted to attend UNC. I don’t know if it was to impress or infuriate his father. Joseph resented not being able to finish his education there.”
His education or his dating? Leah’s heart hurt for Cecily. Choices had changed her life, her dreams and hopes, and had turned her into a parent and caregiver far too soon in life.
“Don’t feel sorry for me, Leah. Josiah changed my world in the best way. I love him with all my heart and he’s worth far more to me than everything I gave up. It just breaks my heart to know he’s hurting and I can’t reach him. Most of the time he’s fine but then I try to reconcile the relationship with his dad and he loses it. I wish he could let go but he can’t.”
Leah considered the lack of decisions she’d made in her life. She’d moved out and started Clutterfree but knew she could always fall back on her parents if she failed. Or maybe when, if things kept going like they had lately. With this job she was solvent, but what would she do when it ended?
She wouldn’t think about that now. Her life was in God’s hands and she believed He would direct her path. She believed He had a plan for her just as He did for Josiah and Cecily and they all had to wait on God’s timing.
And yet she’d managed to hurt Josiah Byrd again. “I shouldn’t have asked him to help me with the closet. I was thinking of you and thought it would make things easier but apparently it only made things worse.”
Cecily reached over to pat her hand. “No more than usual. The positive in all this is that he helped you despite his unwillingness.”
Leah didn’t exactly see Josiah’s reaction as a positive.
“I think we should call it a day. That closet was a major task and I’m sure you’re ready for a rest.”
“I need to finish labeling the boxes and move them out of your bedroom.”
“We’ll handle it together.”
They rose and walked to the door. “And Leah, I am sorry you got caught up in this.”
Like the story with Josiah and his father, there was another story Cecily didn’t know. A story that involved Leah that couldn’t be shared.
“Not a problem. We said it wasn’t going to be easy when we started. We’ll get through this together.”
Cecily linked arms with her. “We will.”
Chapter 6
Leah felt out of sorts as she looked over the items Cecily had pulled out of the hall closet. She’d worked another job that morning with a lady who wanted a half day of closet sorting. Cecily had given her the go-ahead since she had doctor appointments.
But Leah’s thoughts weren’t on her work. Early that morning she had gone by to check on her parents’ pets and found Champ listless with no appetite. She called their vet and he said the dog might be missing her parents and suggested he stay at the clinic overnight as a precaution.
Then the other client said she’d had enough after two hours of work. They had barely scratched the surface but she insisted on quitting so they did.
It had been after one by the time she and Cecily settled in to work on the hall closet and they hadn’t made much progress. Cecily wandered along the memories pathway many times, insisting she couldn’t dispose of the things they found there.
Leah despaired when the woman opened a scrapbook and fingered an old dried-up corsage. “Joseph gave me this for my senior prom. I’ve had it since I was seventeen years old.”
“Is there a photo of you wearing the corsage?”
Cecily smoothed a finger over the edges. “A Polaroid. It was a special night.”
“Why don’t we put the scrapbook in the keep/think about pile?”
That same pile had become their biggest by the time the afternoon passed. It was getting late when the doorbell rang. Cecily went to answer while Leah tossed trash into bags. She couldn’t imagine how they had managed to fill two bags after keeping so many things but they had. She heard Cecily talking to som
eone who sounded like Josiah.
“Leah, dear, can you come to the kitchen?”
She stood and brushed off her clothes, tucking her hair behind her ears. She’d worn it down that day.
It was Josiah. He stood at the kitchen island. A couple of brown bags with delicious smells emanating from them rested on the countertop.
Leah felt self-conscious when his gaze came to rest on her face. “Hi. I surprised Mom with Chinese takeout but she has other plans.”
“You should have called. Why don’t you and Leah dine together?” She turned to Leah and asked, “Did you have plans for dinner?”
Feeling awkward, Leah shook her head. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Most nights she picked up a salad or made herself a sandwich out of whatever she had in the fridge. “No, ma’am.”
Cecily couldn’t have looked more pleased with herself if she’d preplanned their evening. “There you go, Josiah. You can share this wonderful meal with this beautiful young woman and neither of you will dine alone.”
“Mom...”
“I couldn’t.”
His protest and her refusal came out at the same time.
“Nonsense.” Cecily glanced at Leah. “You’ve had a difficult day. The least my son can do is feed you.”
Josiah showed concern. “What happened?”
“I had to leave Champ at the vet’s office. He’s off his food and won’t move. I haven’t heard from them yet.”
“I’m sorry. Mom’s right. Please stay and share this meal with me. Let’s say it’s a peace offering for the way I acted last Thursday.”
Cecily smiled and wrapped an arm about her son’s waist. “Those are my favorite words.”
Josiah hugged her closer. “What’s that?”
“Why, ‘Mom’s right’ and ‘I’m sorry,’ of course.”
He shook his head. “I can be a jerk at times. And Mom, I don’t say those words often enough. Where are you going tonight?”
She looked up at him. “Shopping with Carol. I promised to help her pick out clothes for a cruise she’s taking. We’ve both been busy and she leaves for Florida next week. This is the only time I have.”
“You could eat with us before you go.”
“We’re going for a salad after we finish. She wants to share her itinerary and I want to catch up with what’s been going on in her life.”
“Okay, Mom. Leah will eat your hot and sour soup. They made it just the way you like.”
“Oh.” Slight disappointment flitted over her features. “You’ll love it, Leah.”
Leah smiled, still trying to find an escape. She couldn’t claim she needed to go home to the pets. Lady was so self-sufficient she didn’t need humans for more than food and cleaning her litter box. “We can put it in the fridge for later.”
Cecily shook her head. “It’s best eaten right away. You have to try it. I tell Josiah all the time that he doesn’t know what he’s missing.”
Josiah’s smile was sympathetic. “Just give in, Leah. You’ve already told her you don’t have plans.”
She flushed. “Okay. I’ll be happy to eat Cecily’s hot and sour soup. It’s my favorite, too.”
Cecily glanced at her watch. “Look at the time. I need to freshen up before I go.”
Leah started to follow. “I need to finish cleaning that mess we’ve made outside the closet.”
“Leave it. We’ll just have to pull everything back out tomorrow.” Cecily kissed Josiah’s cheek and then Leah’s.
“Have fun.” Again they spoke in unison.
The unity continued as they pulled plates from the cabinets and Leah filled glasses with ice and tea. Josiah found silverware and napkins. “Sorry. I didn’t get chopsticks.”
“That’s okay. I never could figure out how to eat soup with them.”
He grinned at her tongue-in-cheek comment and she grinned back just as Cecily popped in to say good-night. His mother wore a pleased expression on her face as she went through the mudroom into the garage.
“I’m glad she’s going out. She’s lonely.”
He nodded. “She is. It’s the reason she’s making so many changes in her life.”
He poured the soup into a bowl and set it on the island. “Don’t wait on me. Eat while the soup is hot.” He slid a packet of fried noodles over to her.
Leah picked up the soup spoon. “What makes this so special?”
“Mom declares it’s got the best flavor she’s ever eaten. She asks for green onions and extra noodles.”
“Would you say grace?”
Josiah came over to the island and took her hand in his. He asked God’s blessings on the food they were about to eat and thanked Him for providing a friend with whom to enjoy the evening meal.
His words filled Leah with warmth. She’d been attracted to Josiah when they first met but never imagined they would see each other again.
“I’m sorry about the way I acted the other day. I was wrong.”
“Not if that’s the way you feel. You should have told me you weren’t comfortable and I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard. I just wanted to save Cecily the pain of doing it.”
Josiah nodded. “I know your intentions were good. Unfortunately you got caught up in one of my moments and I apologize. I have plenty of fried rice and chicken.” He sat the second bag on the island and removed two cartons, one small and one larger. Another small paper package contained egg rolls. “They’re shrimp.”
Josiah served his plate and pushed the containers in Leah’s direction. She placed a spoon of the meat and vegetable dish and one of the egg rolls on her plate. Their shoulders bumped when he took the seat next to hers.
“I meant for you to eat the rest.”
“No way. The soup and egg roll will fill me up.” She brought another spoonful to her mouth. “Your mom is right. This is wonderful.”
They ate in silence until Leah asked, “How was work today?”
“Showed a couple of properties, a few inquiries about listings and one sale. What about you?”
“Cecily had appointments so I took the morning off to do another job. My client wasn’t as motivated. Then this situation with Champ.”
“How old is he?”
“Fourteen. Mom thought Queen Elizabeth’s corgis were so cute she wanted her own. I know he’s old but I pray the vet’s right and he’s missing Mom and Dad. It would be horrible if something happened.”
“Where are they?”
“On their way to London. Mom raved about how romantic Paris was.”
She noted the way Josiah watched her so closely. “Would you like to see Paris?”
“Oh, yes, definitely. I hope to travel extensively. Once I get my finances in order and can afford to. Right now, buying a tank of gas to drive around Wilmington is about the most travel I can afford.”
Josiah chuckled. “I’d bike to work but I don’t think my clients would be willing to ride on the handlebars. I take it the organization business took a hit with the economy?” He forked food into his mouth and chewed.
“Yes. Another luxury in lean times.”
“Maybe you should specialize in helping people raise funds with their excess junk.”
Leah shrugged. It was a thought. Would her clientele increase if she helped turn their excess into dollars. “I have helped a few get their items up on eBay and they’ve done well. Some have had yard sales and we often list curbside items on Craigslist.”
“No curbside here.”
“We could always leave it up at the guardhouse.”
Josiah laughed at her teasing grin. “I don’t even want to think what the association would do with that.” He tapped the carton with his fork. “Sure you don’t want more of this?”
“I’m stuffed. You eat it.”
He stirred around in the container, eating bits and pieces. “Here you go.” Josiah tossed her a fortune cookie.
Leah broke it open and read. “Ooh, changes in my future. What does yours say?”
He frowned as he read. “Where do they get this stuff?”
She bumped his shoulder. “Come on. What does it say?”
“I’m going to find love in the place I least expect it.”
Leah frowned. “Does that mean you have to go someplace to find love?”
Josiah shrugged. “I have no idea.”
She stood and stacked her dishes, taking them over to the sink. Josiah followed. “You bought dinner. I’ll do the dishes,” she said.
“Okay. I’ll take out the garbage. Tomorrow is trash day.”
Leah remembered the bags in the hallway upstairs. “I need to get our trash. It’s heavy and I don’t want Cecily lugging those bags around.”
“I’ll get them.”
Not wanting to risk Josiah tossing some of Cecily’s keep items, Leah went upstairs with him. She separated the bags from the piles in the hallway.
Josiah pointed to the huge pile sitting off to the side. “What about that?”
She shook her head quickly. “That’s Cecily’s ‘think about’ pile. It stays until she makes her final decision.”
He looked at it again. “What’s in there?”
“Lots of things. A scrapbook she kept in high school. Some letters your dad wrote to her.“
“Junk.” He flapped his hand in dismissal.
“Young woman’s treasures.”
Unconvinced, he said, “It’s still junk.”
Leah eyed him. “Don’t you have anything like that?”
“If I do, I’m sure it’s in this house. Even if I wanted to toss the stuff, Mom wouldn’t let me. She’s big on keeping things for the future.”
“And we’re big on throwing memories away with both hands.”
Even as she spoke the words, Leah didn’t know why the thought came to mind. Cecily and Marty fought to keep the things they hoped their children would one day treasure. “Maybe they know something we don’t know.”