They tackled the bedroom first, dividing items into donate and keep piles. The experience was anything but glamorous, seeing stacks of half-empty pill bottles and disposing of Margaret’s old toothbrush, the bristles spread out from overuse. But somehow, being around her stuff made Adrian feel close to her again. She could see her mother in her mind’s eye, perched on the corner of her bed, reminding them to be careful with her things. Adrian smiled at the thought.
She cleaned out the bedside table, which held a copy of the Bible, worn with age. She found a collection of old cards from birthdays and anniversaries over the years, including a yellowed page with crude crayon drawings of a woman and child holding hands under a fragmented rainbow. She instantly recognized her ancient penmanship: I love you mommy scribbled in pink and red. Her mother had kept it all those years? Adrian teared up, thinking about her mother holding a different little girl’s hand now.
She opened the jewelry box on the top of her mother’s dresser to sort through her treasures. There were several gifts from her father, including a solitaire diamond necklace he gave her for their twenty-fifth anniversary. Adrian saw her parents’ wedding bands next to each other, both tarnished with age and neglect. Definitely going in the keep pile. She held them tightly in her hand and thought about melting them down. Maybe she could make something new with the symbols of their love for one another. Something she could carry with her, always keeping them close.
“So, what now?” Laura asked, folding Margaret’s favorite blue dress to put in the donate pile.
“What do you mean?”
“What’s next for you?” Laura pulled more clothes off hangers, including the black and white shirt her mother wore to their last poker game. “You don’t have your mom to look after anymore. Think you’ll come back to Austin?”
Adrian paused. “I don’t know yet.” She hadn’t given any thought to herself, the bulk of her attention on her mother as of late.
“I’m sure you could find another tech job pretty easily if you wanted to.”
Adrian pulled clothing from her mother’s dresser. “That definitely doesn’t interest me.”
“Well, you still have a home there. We could pull it off the market.”
“No, I don’t want to live in the house with Brad’s memory. I need a fresh start, new energy.”
“You’re starting to sound like me.” Laura smiled. “And I agree, although selfishly I want you to come back to Austin.”
“I know, and I haven’t ruled anything out yet.” She hadn’t received an offer on the house yet because of Celeste’s lien, and Laura told her she’d have to disclose that to potential buyers. It would take the right buyer to come along and be patient while they worked things out, and those people were on par with unicorns.
Laura’s phone rang. From her body language, Adrian knew it was Zach. She heard her friend coo at Dylan, and her tone changed when Zach was back on the line. “No, I don’t know.” Laura placed a hand on her hip. “As long as she needs me.” She paced a little. “Yes, I know. Call you later, okay? Love you.” She hung up.
“Do you need to get back?” Adrian asked when Laura returned. She felt selfish and greedy, keeping her best friend hostage when her family needed her.
“No, not at all. I’m here as long as you need me. It’s fine.”
They resumed sorting through Margaret’s stuff.
“Do you miss them?”
“Of course,” Laura said, folding a purple floral dress Adrian had never seen. “Although, if I’m honest, it’s been nice and quiet without a crying baby around.” She looked surprised at her own honesty. “Am I a terrible mom for saying that?”
Adrian realized in her best friend’s question indicated how much women judge one another, holding each other to impossibly high standards and criticizing others behind their backs when they didn’t follow suit in what they should do according to the female collective. Women spend so much time tearing each other down and should redirect that energy into lifting each other up. Her mother had always been concerned about other people’s opinions to the point she wouldn’t even wear her oxygen in public. And there Adrian was, afraid to live her life the way she wanted to out of fear of what other people might think. Has Brad been buried long enough for me to move on? Should I go back to the safety of a soulless corporate job? The apple didn’t fall far, did it?
Adrian looked at her best friend, seeing her as a woman first and not just a mom. Just because she had a baby didn’t mean she stopped being who she was pre-baby. And there was no reason a baby should completely change a person. Obviously, there would be a priority shift, but Laura was still a priority too.
Adrian thought about her mother, realizing she was a woman first too and not just her mother. She was certain there were times Margaret desperately wanted to get away and fuel her own interests and passions but couldn’t. It gave Adrian a newfound respect for both of them. “No.” She smiled. “And thank you.”
“For what?” Laura pushed a curl behind her ear.
“Your motherly and womanly wisdom.”
Laura furrowed her brow, and her phone rang again. She rolled her eyes and answered it. That time, Adrian knew it was business, and she sifted through more of her mother’s possessions.
“I just received a verbal offer on your house.”
Adrian’s jaw dropped. “How much?”
“Full price.” Laura forced a smile.
A sense of relief washed over her. “That solves one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“Where I’m going to live.” She fidgeted with a pair of holey socks. “I guess there’s no turning back now.”
“You know you always have a home in Austin with me if you want to come back.”
She thought about Karen and Susan and everyone else in her group. She also thought about Bev and Gilda and poor lost Harold. “I think I might stick around here for a while. I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like there’s more to do. Other people who need me.”
“To say I’m surprised would be an understatement.” Laura struggled to hide her disappointment. “You sure you won’t change your mind and come back?”
“Somehow, this feels like where I need to be. At least, for now.”
Laura nodded in acceptance, and they resumed packaging up Margaret’s belongings, going through the items that were a small reflection of the woman she was.
25
Laura had a few errands to run, which gave Adrian an opportunity to paint. She couldn’t find the right subject for her next painting, assuming inspiration would hit once she settled into her usual spot near the beach. She kept thinking about her mother. What would she be doing now? She smiled at the thought of her finding something in Heaven to criticize. Perhaps her tired mind was finally able to rest.
Adrian’s heart ached. Part of her wished her mother were still there. She’d give anything to hear her nag her again. The other part of her knew she’d finally found peace and no longer felt pain. She was able to breathe easily with her Heavenly lungs, free from a body attacking itself and drowning in accumulated phlegm. The idea made it easier to cope.
Adrian held a pencil, ready to sketch an idea. She contemplated how the blankness of the paper reflected her mind. She felt drained from the last week of saying goodbye and the aftermath of her mother’s passing. Fortunately, group would start soon, and she felt relieved to have the support to lean on.
Resolved with a few random doodles, she cleared her space and made her way to the familiar pavilion early. Karen was the first one there, putting out folding chairs. Adrian rushed over to help.
“Thank you,” she said. Karen looked at her and knew before Adrian could confess. “Oh dear. I’m so sorry.” She placed a warm hand on Adrian’s shoulder, pulling her into a hug. “How are you holding up, kiddo?”
Adrian shed a tear. “I’m okay. One day at a time, right?”
Karen looked at her with deeply empathetic eyes. “I would have thought you’d be hight
ailing it back to Austin now that your mom is gone.”
“I thought about that, but I’m not sure I’m ready to leave yet. I don’t know how to explain it, but I still feel there’s more to do here.” She realized in that moment how much she’d changed since her accident. In the past, she never put much stock into gut feelings, but now, she allowed her intuition to guide her, and it was shouting for her to stay.
“You’re always welcome here, you know,” Karen said. “You’re definitely part of the group.”
As Adrian looked at Karen, she thought about Gilda and Bev. And poor lost Harold. They’d become a little family to her in the last few months, and she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving them. It was almost like they still harbored a piece of her mother, whom she longed to be close to in every way possible. “Yeah, I think you’re stuck with me.” She shrugged.
“I’m glad.”
Her phone buzzed. Brian’s name popped up on the caller ID, and she excused herself from Karen to answer.
“We finally tracked her down.” Adrian felt relieved at his words. “She’s in labor.”
“Labor? Where?”
“In a hospital in Lubbock. I’ll let you know more as I find out, but I at least wanted to let you know we found her.”
“Thanks, Brian. Keep me posted.” She hung up, turning back to Karen. “I’m so sorry, I can’t stay—”
“Go on. It’s okay. We’ll catch up next week. We’re here for you,” Karen assured.
“Thank you.” Adrian headed toward her car, desperate to talk to Laura. Soon enough, there would be resolution one way or the other on whether Brad had fathered Celeste’s baby. The outcome didn’t change the fact that he cheated but finding out the results of the paternity test was the last piece of the puzzle, and for better or worse, Celeste was about to complete it.
Christian pulled into the parking lot for group just in time to see Adrian drive away. He hoped he hadn’t been the cause for her early departure, and his heart sank. He’d picked up his phone several times, ready to dial her number, but his mind would overthink what to say, paralyzing him from action. He thought he’d figure out what to say when he saw her in person. Even if the words weren’t right, at least they’d be talking. But she’d just left.
He made his way over to group, early for once. Frank assisted Karen by putting out carafes of coffee and water, and Henry hummed while he formed a circle with folding chairs. Christian could tell Karen was reassuring Gina about something. Had she lost weight since he’d seen her last? Susan even appeared to be more tolerant than usual, a smile replacing her normal scowl as she smoked a cigarette.
“Christian, so glad you could make it,” Karen said, giving him a quick hug.
“Where’s Adrian?” He asked.
“Oh, she had to go. Something about labor. I’m not sure.”
Christian knew immediately what happened. Celeste must have gone into labor. He’d call Brian later to get an update.
“Since he’s early for once, should we go ahead and get started?” Frank teased.
“Ha-ha,” Christian said, playfully pushing Frank’s arm.
Karen shrugged. “We might as well, since Adrian won’t be here today. Oh, and the next time you see her, please be kind. She just lost her mother.”
Sounds of empathy echoed throughout the group, and Christian’s stomach dropped. Unscripted or not, he needed to call her later. There were still a few things that left him feeling uncertain but being there for Adrian during a time of need wasn’t one of them.
“Which is a nice segue,” Karen continued, “into our topic this week, which is moving on with our lives. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming thinking about moving on without your loved one, especially when you go back to your normal routine, realizing that person is no longer a part of it. However, you’re still here, and it’s important to establish a new routine or try new things and create healthy habits for yourself.”
Christian chuckled under his breath. Had Karen developed the ability to read minds?
“Christian, did you have something to add?” she asked.
“Actually, I was thinking how appropriate this topic is for me this week.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“Sure.” He sat up a little straighter. “My ex, the one who cheated on me, recently showed up to my office asking for a second chance. It was the last thing I expected, and I actually considered it. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in myself for wanting to slide back into the familiar.”
“Don’t beat yourself up,” Frank said. “We all know how hard that break-up was for you. I’d be surprised if you hadn’t considered it, even for a minute.”
“Well, to make matters worse, I’d recently started seeing someone, and she happened to walk into my office while Sarah was there. She didn’t give me a chance to explain, but I was at a loss for words at the time anyway.”
“Is it Adrian?” Henry asked, surprising Christian. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. It reminds me of how I looked at Betty, the most gorgeous woman on the planet.” He had a dreamy look in his eyes.
“Well, since you already know, yeah, it is. Or was.” He shifted uncomfortably. “I’m afraid my past is getting in the way of my future, whatever that might look like at this point.”
“Have you talked to her since?” Gina asked.
“No, I was hoping to get a chance to today, but she left before I could.”
“Just to be clear, you said no to your ex, right?” Susan asked.
“Yes, but to be honest, the whole situation made me wonder if I’m ready to move on.”
“It’s okay to take time to figure it out,” Karen said. “You don’t need to know all the answers right now.”
“But a woman like Adrian doesn’t come along every day,” Gina said. “Just look at how much she’s impacted all of our lives in the time she’s been here. You’d be crazy to let her go.”
“Don’t add pressure to the man,” Susan admonished. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll work out.”
“Although it’d be awkward for us if you don’t work it out.” Frank grimaced.
“Just listen to your heart. It won’t steer you wrong,” Karen said.
Christian considered Karen’s words. Was he going to continue playing it safe, or would he go after what he knew would bring him true happiness? When he pictured moving forward with the rest of his life, there was one piece missing. One woman who completed the puzzle. He’d suspected it for years but now knew with complete certainty he had to at least try. If he struck out, at least he’d go out swinging.
“It looks like you figured out what to do, am I right?” Henry asked.
Christian nodded.
“Good. Go get our girl,” Gina said.
“Oh, for crying out loud, Gina.” Susan rolled her eyes.
They laughed as Christian devised his plan for moving on with his life.
Adrian had been looking forward to group therapy all week, but after Brian called, there was no way she would have been present enough to honor everyone there. She’d wondered if Christian would show and had rehearsed aloof responses if he tried addressing the elephant named Sarah in the room. She needed to obsess for one last time on the potential outcome with her best friend. She felt relieved to see Laura’s car parked along the curb outside her mother’s house as she pulled into the driveway.
“I have so much to tell you,” they both said simultaneously when Adrian walked through the door. After much debate about who should go first, Laura let Adrian have the floor.
“Celeste is in labor.” She shared the details from her short conversation with Brian.
“Wow, I guess we’ll know soon enough once and for all, huh?” Laura sat on the sofa, looking perfectly put together in black yoga pants and a short-sleeved pink t-shirt. Her hair balanced on top of her head in a messy bun, a couple of loose tendrils framing her face.
Adrian settled into her mother’s chair. “Brian promised to call me the moment he finds
out.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and set it on the armrest, directly in view. “I’ll just be glad to have some finality one way or another. The limbo has been painful.” Laura nodded her head in agreement. “Okay, what were you going to tell me?”
“You won’t believe who I ran into while I was out. Do you remember Denise Perkins?” she asked. Adrian wrinkled her forehead, coming up short after searching her memory. “Denise was a year ahead of us in school…she’s now Denise Buchanan. Anyway, she’s opening an art gallery in Pensacola, and when I told her about you, she wanted to see your work.” Laura struggled to sit still, beaming with excitement.
“Seriously?” Adrian couldn’t believe it. Was it the sign she’d been looking for? Was she finally in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing? Her heart soared at the Universe’s orchestration.
“Yeah, she said she’d love to support a fellow Pirate alumnus.”
“Once a Pirate, always a Pirate, right?” Adrian smiled, not even remotely nauseous at saying something so trite. She couldn’t wait to get away from high school, and now she reclaimed her alliance with fervor.
“I guess you will be sticking around here for a while after all.” Laura picked a piece of imaginary lint from her shirt.
“It seems like things are lining up for me that way.” They sat in silence for a moment, the reality of living in separate towns more permanently hanging heavy in the air. Adrian recognized the war raging inside of her best friend instantly, for the same war raged within her. On one hand, she was excited, but on the other, it meant they’d be apart. Neither one of them were ever good with that, always finding a way to stick together. But it seemed this time they might be forced to stay apart. Adrian needed to figure out a way to convince her and Zach to move back to Florida.
“I wonder who Celeste will list as the father on the birth certificate,” she said.
Before Adrian could answer, there was a knock at the door. It was Gilda and Bev, who had on velour tracksuits, and Bev held tiny weights in both hands. Gilda’s sweatband pushed her hair straight up like a cockatoo’s.
Unfinished Business Page 18