STEPHANIE LOOKED OVER HER SHOULDER after hearing her name being called.
"It really is you." The woman asked with opened arms, "Its me, dear, aunty Jess. You look so different, I almost didn't recognize you."
Chills ran up Stephanie's arm and she opened her arms slowly when she went into the embrace, "Aunt Jess." She bit her lip, "How I can ever forget you." She then pulled away with a smile, "You look different from what I remembered as well. This hair suits you much better, I love it."
"I know right, you would've thought shorter was the best option."
"It was a great decision, indeed."
Jess brushed a strand of hair behind Stephanie's ear, her face became melancholy, "How are you, dear? How have you been on…your own?"
"I've been doing fine actually, Granny keeps me company."
" Linda? Well I guess its good that you have her on your side." She then lowered her voice and Stephanie knew exactly what was about to come next. "I can only truly hope that you're truly doing alright. With Fred gone and well…Sariah, it must be so hard for you."
Stephanie didn't answer, her words were lodged in her throat and all she could do was keep her knuckles clenched and stare at her feet as she continued.
"If only Sariah could be here. She was a great woman, but I always had a feeling she was never truly capable of being held down. Fled just like that."
Stephanie raised her head and stared at her with furrowed brows, a look of shock on her face. Her heart hammered and her nails pierced the skin of her palms but she didn't reply. "Excuse me, I-I need to be excused for a while, I'm sorry. I'll be back."
***
Music played quietly from the radio, almost as a lullaby, Stephanie's angered sobs sounding over the quiet Taylor Swift song as she tried to calm her self.
She fed on an unfinished snickers bar she had left in her purse, unaware of how long has passed until someone knocked on her window.
She dropped the chocolate package on her lap, startled but then face palmed once she saw it was John. She lowered the window and he placed his elbows on it. "You doing okay? Its been about almost half an hour now, Steph. I'm…I'm sorry about what she said, I didn't find that cool in the slightest."
"Sorry? Are you really, John? Y'know I don't think you are. How can I know that, after all you always enjoyed playing with my feelings. You were always there back then, what she said wasn't a first time I've words like those so why apologize now. Just stop trying to nice to me, okay? I'm used to different."
"Why are in here, Steph? You're upset over what she said so why didn't you let her know. You shouldn't hide in here when you should be letting her know how you feel."
"Its what I do. I am to stay silent no matter how angry I am. I only get to run away, not the last say, John. Its always been this way."
"You're saying that its always been this way but it doesn't have to be anymore. It isn't anymore, you're a grown adult now. No longer a kid or a teenager." He then looked away, "No longer am I by the way. You should return to the park, the will is being announced."
"Wait John I—" But John had already started to make his way back and Stephanie sighed and slouched in the seat, checking the time on her phone as she pondered whether or not to go.
She checked the mirror again, making sure her eyes weren't smudged and decided to exit the car, starting toward the park.
As Steph neared the gathering, she found her family members seated and slowly standing one by one. There was a man in front of the them, the man sending out the will perhaps.
Beatrice noticed her first and tapped Bethany's shoulder who made it known to the others, all of them walking toward her with somewhat sentimental looks on their faces.
"What's going on Beatrice?" She questioned, "What happened?"
Beatrice bowed her head and looked at her mother behind her who stepped up afterward.
"What's happened, Trisha?" She asked again and Trisha sighed.
"Everything of value went out to us, Stephanie. Your stepsisters, your father left it all to us, hun."
Stephanie blinked, "He did what?"
"You're his biological daughter, their must have been some kind of mistake, right mother?" Bethany looked to her mother with hopeful eyes but Steph knew not to trust either of them, after all, she saw it. Underneath the sympathetic eyes she saw Trisha's scorn and mockery.
"I don't think there was and surely you don't either. Its you people that he truly considered his family. Its who you make it right? Blood doesn't come first in his book, love does. He loved you guys, not me."
"Don't be like that sweetheart, you know we'll be here for you. We can give you—"
She shook her head, stepping back, "Don't pretend to be mother Trisha. You don't need too. I'm fine on my own, always been so. Goodbye guys." Stephanie rushed off but this time she didn't bother to shed her tears. Her father was dick till death and she wasn't going to cry over it, over him.
She opened the car door and started it, about to reverse when John came following after her. She stopped and winded down the window, "What is it, John?"
"This is my number. I want to stay in touch with you this time. Call me…please?" He handed her the paper and she took it, smiling.
"No promises." She reversed slowly, "Good bye, John."
***
Stephanie had to return the car to Elise but took a stop at her home before she would. She took out the spare keys from her purse and once the lock clicked open, she rid of the strenuous heels on her feet and passed the welcome mat into her grandmothers ancient designed home.
It always made her smile. The house wasn't much and outside lookers may find it unpleasing but it was the scent of rosemary and burning candles as well the cozy interior that Steph came home into everyday that made it comfortable, beautiful. And the fact that it was Linda who took her in.
"Granny?" The girl called out, looking around when she wasn't in her usual rocking chair, "Are you in the bathroom?" She then walked to the cabinet and took out peanut butter and her favorite strawberry jam with two grain bread slices from the packet.
She prepared the sandwich on a plate and poured a glass of milk before she walked into the living room, placing the glass on the wooden table first and was about to place the plate but came across an envelope. Stephanie placed the bowl in the envelopes' place and sat when she started to open it, however the seal had already been undone which meant Linda had already read it.
She opened the envelope and inside pulled out a check, her eyes widened when she read the sum of $330,000 dollars. Shocked she placed her hand inside again and found a notice:
'Dear seller, it is known to us that you do not want to abandon your property but we hope that you may consider our offer with a generous sum of $ 330, 000 dollars for your premises. Thank you.'
"Stephanie, is that you dear? I didn't hear when you came home." Linda pushed her glasses up her nose bridge and her smile fell when she saw the envelope in her grand daughter's hand.
"How long have this been sent, Granny?" Stephanie asked her voice barely above a whisper.
"It's the third notice."
"Why didn't you tell me, Granny. Maybe I could've done something to help. This place is your home, you cannot possibly want to sell it."
Linda sighed and walked over to table, taking a seat next to Steph. She took the envelope and placed it back onto the table and placed a hand on her knee. "Listen, Stephanie, I didn't tell you because you were already working so hard to get a job. Everyday you came home so tired that you could barely utter more than a word to me. I never wanted to sell our home, sweetheart you have to believe me but I think it'll be for the best. I can barely afford to pay taxes and I don't want you to keep over working yourself to pay them for me—"
"I have no problem with that."
"Of course you don't but I do. You're twenty two Stephanie, you're still so young and I don't you to live a life with trying constantly to live, with trying to make me live. You should go out and enjoy yourself often. I don't want to be a burden for you. Every amount of change you get it's always spent on me, on this house and barely get anything for yourself."
"Is that why you sent me today?"
"Did you get anything from the will. Did he leave you with anything?" Linda asked desperately but sighed when Stephanie shook her head, "I'm sorry, Steph. You're father I…I don't know what to say about him."
"Granny..."
"Seeing your constant job search, I had to let you go."
"Granny, I'm sorry."
"None of this is your fault, Stephanie. You need to move on, it saddens me everyday to see you miserable and isolated. You have your life ahead but me on the other doesn't. I lived my life already so I don't mind living this way. You know that even if we are to keep this house, you cannot stay here, you deserve better sweetheart."
"So you're going to let them have it?" Stephanie was still in denial.
"I'm old, I can stay back at my brother's crowded home or a nursing home and you can take the money and put it with whatever more to buy yourself some place better."
Stephanie stared at her grandmother, it pained her to hear her say those things because she never pictured what it would be like without her. She had lived with her, in the same house for four years. To her, her grandmother was the only family member she had left that cared about her and she never wanted to imagine what it would be like without that.
However she knew deep down that what she spoke was the truth.
She would have to move on.