The days after they decided to take their mother off life support flew by. Louise knew that Gene was still angry at Kevyn's decisions but there was something else bothering him. What it was she couldn't quite figure out but what she did know was that Clay Robinson was involved. She saw the way that Clay looked at him and how nervous Gene had acted. She pushed the thought aside, there was a funeral to plan and she still hadn't asked Kevyn about going back to California with her and her significant other as Kevyn called him.
Her hand still ached from the cut that she had gotten when she and Gene had gotten into a disagreement about the house. She meant it when she told him that he could have it and once again, that family meeting had turned ugly. Clay being there hadn't helped at all. His presence only contributed to the already tense atmosphere and his posturing was almost funny.
Louise watched Patrick as he interacted with Kevyn and the way that he disregarded Gene and found herself calmed by his calm and easy mannerism. When he bandaged her hand, his touch was a gentle as any doctor's and when he told her that he understood why she didn't want to go to the hospital, she believed him. The fact that he cared for her as a brother would a sister confused her. He knew nothing about her at least no more than Kevyn had told him. The connection that she felt toward him was startling.
**********
Now here they were at the funeral home preparing to say their final goodbyes. She sat off by herself watching her siblings and wondering where Patrick was and wondering whom the man obviously watching Kevyn was. Gene sat next to her and asked her how she was and she recoiled as the smell of alcohol hit her nose. She knew that Gene drank and that was the big reason why his wife Dana left him but he had never showed up at a family function already half drunk. She was about to say something to him about it when a commotion in the front took her attention away from Gene.
Clay Robinson was standing behind Kevyn with his arms around her very unaware that Patrick was standing behind him.
"What is going on tonight?" Louise wondered as she watched and listened to Patrick make his presence known and Clay slink away like the dog he was. After everyone had said their goodbyes, she went up to the casket; she had to know that their mother was really at peace.
Leon saw her approaching the casket and met her partway.
"How you holding up?" he asked as he put an arm around her.
"As well as can be expected... it's so hard to believe that she's gone." Louise replied.
Leon didn't reply but walked with her to the casket and silently waited for Louise to say good-bye.
She took her mother's hand in hers and closed her eyes listening for any sign that her mother was in any distress. No one knew that she could feel things for as long as she could remember. That's why she was able to deal with difficult people, she knew what they needed sometimes before they did and once she said "it's going to be alright" they calmed and life was good.
She held the small cold hand tightly, listened, and heard.... Nothing. She bit back a sob of relief. She could now leave the awful city of Pittsburg guilt free.
When it was time for the services to start, she like Kevyn was amazed by the turnout. People who they hadn't seen in years were there and crying over Wanda Yancy. An uncharacteristic surge of anger fill Louise as these people stopped at her seat, kissed her on the cheek and told her what a saint her mother had been and how she was in a much better place.
Like Kevyn, she realized why there was such a big turn out. Their mother's funeral was being used as a free night out and that angered her. Kevyn gave her hand a gentle squeeze telling her that she understood and that she was as angry about it as she was.
In many ways the service seemed to drag on an in other ways it sped by. Suddenly they were at the cemetery and then just as quickly they were sitting at a table preparing to eat the repast meal. Louise watched in disgust as people filled their plates with more food than they could possibly eat only to return for more a few minutes later. As people began to leave, she noticed that some of their bags were bulging where earlier they had been flat.
Toward the end of the meal, she saw Gene leave but didn't think too much of it. He had never been one for crowds and she figured that he had gone out for fresh air. Finally, it was over. Kevyn and Patrick wanted her to stay at the hotel with them. She had agreed after a little coaxing and hearing Patrick say that he had already reserved a room for her and the best part was, she was going back to California with them. She couldn't wait! She had already started packing her clothes with the exception of her winter things. The only personal items she packed were the things that her mother had given her over the years and her laptop, which hadn't seen internet access since their father Victor Yancy, died three years prior.
They only had to get through the repast and go through the house and she was free. Finally, all that was left of the guests was family and Clay. Louise didn't understand why he couldn't or wouldn't understand that Kevyn wanted nothing to do with him. She was the last one out following Kevyn and Patrick out into the night and suddenly she heard Patrick shout and she was on the ground as was everyone else.
The end result was that Clay Robinson was dead, shot by an unknown gunman. After being questioned, they were free to go. As much as she hated to admit it, Louise was glad that he was gone, he had been a threat to Kevyn for years and maybe now Kevyn would tell someone what he did to her.
The hotel was beautiful! Louise had never stayed in a hotel of any kind and now she was in one similar to the ones that she had seen on the travel channel. Kevyn and Patrick had settled her in had gone to their room which adjoined hers. She almost died when she saw the bathtub and all of the bath oils and soaps that lined the counter. She touched everything including the towels, washcloths and the fluffy robe that hung on the bathroom door.
She shuddered as she imagined how much a room like this must have costs certain that one night was more than she made in two weeks at work. She looked at the clock and realized that she wouldn't be able to call to resign until morning and then there was Miss. Gina. She would have to make arrangements for her or the old woman would starve to death.
Suddenly the events of the past several days caught up with her, she was exhausted but she had to take a soak in that bathtub. She turned the water on, added rose scented bath oil and got ready for her bath. While the tub filled, she turned on her computer to see if there was anything on Yahoo about Clay. It didn't occur to her to turn on the television because at home, it was turned off early because Wanda had been a light sleeper.
By the time she looked at Yahoo and played a few games, her bath was ready. Louise sighed in pleasure, relief as the hot rose scented water covered her shoulders, and the stresses of the past week seemed to fade away. When she felt herself falling asleep, she climbed out, almost slipping in the process, quickly dried off and staggered to the bed for the first peaceful sleep that she had had in months.
Hours later, she heard the door separating her room from Patrick and Kevyn's room open and then softly close. She had intended to get up but she fell back to sleep waking up late morning. Hearing nothing from next door, she decided to order room service almost choking when she saw the prices.
She ordered the cheapest thing on the menu and turned on the cooking channel to wait for it to be delivered to the room. When it came, she tried to tip the delivery person.
"No thank you ma'am but it's been taken care of." the man said.
"But ....."
"Mr. Sinclaire took care of it, is there anything else that you need?"
*********
That had been yesterday. The house was no longer hers; Patrick had an attorney draw up the papers that legally made the house Gene's to do with as he wished. Other than family, it was her last tie to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. She grinned as she wondered how Gene was faring with the fighting over who got what.
Louise looked out of the window of the jet nervous, excited and scared all at the same time and then she looked over at Kevyn and Patrick. He was concerned about something and she hoped that he wasn't regretting the decision to let her go back with them but Kevyn was concerned too.
"Are you alright?" Patrick asked her.
"I... I've never flown before so I guess I'm a little scared."
"Don't be, it's safer than driving and a hell of a lot faster." he said with a smile, "can we get you anything?"
"No thank you and thank you for letting me come with you."
"Louise, you're family so no thanks are needed. You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you like." Patrick said easing her worries that she would be an imposition.
