by J. D. Robb
She slipped a cautious glance at each of her sisters. “I was sad and I missed him very much but . . . but I was excited, too.” She spoke rapidly. “I’d waited so long to start the life I wanted. I . . . I decided to start with my cookbook; that’s how Julia did it. Hers was a great success, and then some big television executive saw her demonstrating how to make an omelet during an interview, and the rest was history. My cookbook was going to knock their socks off and—” She stopped abruptly.
“Except you didn’t finish it.”
Odelia shook her head.
“Because you got cancer and died.”
She nodded once.
“And was that when you lost the rest of your hope?”
“I knew I’d die before I saw even one of my dreams come true. I’d wasted my entire life waiting and planning for something that would never be.” She looked up in sudden understanding. “You’re right, dear, I died with no hope at all.”
“I’m sorry, Odelia.” She was hard put to tell which sister had the sadder story. “I don’t know if it’ll help, but I thought if it was okay with you, I’d try to make some sense of those recipes in the drawer downstairs. I can’t make any promises, of course, but maybe I can get your cookbook published.”
“Truly?”
They grinned at one another and nodded.
“My name?”
“Of course.”
“Odelia then. Not Heddy.”
She heard running footsteps in the hall and turned to see Ryan, alone, coming after her. “I’m almost done. Go back. Please. Jimmy needs you.”
“He’s fine; he’s with a neighbor. And I need you. The southeast corner is crumbling. I want you out now.” He grabbed her hand and started to pull.
“Call it Delicious Delights by Odelia Hedbo.”
“The simple, fun one or the serious one?” M.J. grabbed the doorjamb and held tight.
“Both? Oh my. Then call the fun one Dandy Delights, dear girl.”
Suddenly, Imogene looked up, shook her head, and smiled—like she had the first day M.J. met her, so beautiful and serene. Throwing off the afghan, she got to her feet and wrapped her arms around Odelia. The sisters hugged and whispered to each other as Adeline stepped away from them and toward her daughter.
“Ryan’s right, darling, you should leave now.”
“Wait. Wait!” She used her eyes to plead with him. “She’s my mother.”
“Oh my,” Adeline sighed. “I am that, and it’s lovely to hear you say so with no remorse in your voice, but you’ve accomplished all we asked for and more. I believe you and I both know what I lost in this house—”
“What we lost in this house, Mother . . . we lost . . . our ability to love. We cut ourselves off from each other and from everyone else around us. You isolated yourself with your beauty just like I isolated myself with my brains—and we both missed out on so much of the joy and happiness we could have shared together. We blew it.”
Adeline pressed her lips tight and bobbed her head in an iffy fashion. “Maybe not . . . not completely anyway. What’s that old saying about a mistake not being a mistake if a lesson is learned. Have you learned any lessons here, Maribelle Joy?”
Man, she still hated that think-this-through tone of voice. . . .
“I thought we were working on your lessons, Mother.”
Adeline’s smile was amused and heartfelt. “We don’t have time for a good argument, darling.” She held her arms out to the sides, and M.J. noticed that both she and her sisters were becoming . . . thinner, starting to fade. “If you’ve learned anything from me, I’d like to hear it. Please.”
She took a step forward, she was losing her mother—again. She wanted to fling her arms around her and hold on as she never had before but . . . instead she held a fist over her breaking heart and began to speak.
“I was born of a love so pure and strong it couldn’t be replaced or forgotten or destroyed. I am lovable . . . just like you named me. And I know I can love because . . . well, because you’ve known all along what you lost in this house, but you hung around waiting for me, so we could have this time together and admit to what we were too stubborn to say when we had the chance—that we love one another. You did that for me. And that’s what love is . . . caring and doing for others.”
She felt Ryan’s hand slip around hers, not urgently pulling her away, simply there—caring.
Her mother’s smiling expression glowed as it had in every picture she’d seen of her with her father—happy and content. Imogene and Odelia joined her, their features satisfied and carefree. All three were barely visible now.
“Take good care of my daughter, young man.”
“Mother!”
The aunts laughed.
“Yes, ma’am, I plan to. I will.”
All three ghosts disappeared.
“That’s a little creepy.” Ryan stepped in front of her and took her other hand. “Are you all right?”
She was about to nod but screamed instead and hurled herself against him when the house shuddered, groaned, and settled into sudden silence. They held each other, heads down, hearts hammering, frozen in fear . . . then gradually started to thaw.
“I . . . I think that’s it. The windows, the foundation under the southeast corner, everything she had supported until they could leave.” She turned her face to where she’d last seen them. “I’m sorry I lied . . . but I’m going to miss them.” She tipped her head back suddenly to look at him. “Is Jimmy okay? Oh God. Come on, you need to be with him. He’ll never believe a thing I say after—”
She almost slipped when she came to the end of her arm and he didn’t budge. Staggering back, she felt his arms come around her and knew she was safe.
She was half laughing when they came face-to-face, his arms locked around her waist, her hands on his forearms—but he was dead-dog serious.
“I feel we should continue your lessons before we go any further.” He had a tone that was even more annoying than her mother’s, but she owed him one this time, so . . .
“First, no more lies.”
“I promise.”
“Even if you don’t think I’ll believe you, at least let me decide whether or not I think you’re nuts.” She nodded. His mood was clearing quickly. “Second, don’t worry about Jimmy not trusting you. Just be yourself and let him love you.” Another nod despite the speculation on her face.
“And thirdly,” he brought a hand to her face, caressed her cheek with his palm as he skimmed his fingers through her plaster-filled hair to the back of her head and drew her closer. “I want to reiterate that part of your lesson about you being completely lovable, so pay attention.”
And he kissed her.