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Author's Note: The response to the first part was unexpected to say the least. I thought I went too far with how dark the story got. It makes me very happy to see that the majority seems to have enjoyed it anyway! If you wish to leave negative reviews, I ask that it be constructive. But if you simply want to offend me, I'll remove/ignore whatever you said so don't bother wasting your time. This is the second and final part to "Blood of the Covenant". I hope you enjoy. There's even a special cameo!
Chapter 9: Parallel Mistakes, Divergent Choices
"Family meeting, bug!" Claire poked her head in Banri's room. "Dining table."
Banri followed her down, Emily and Zoe joining them on the stairs. Claire remained standing while the other three sat at the table. Banri looked at his sisters to see if they knew what was going on but they just shrugged.
"I've talked to my lawyer." Claire began. "I'm rewriting my will."
"I didn't even know you had a will." Banri said.
"Well I have to make it easier on people when they're going through my things." Claire explained. "Anyway. The old will included Faith and her family. I was going to give them the property that our dad passed down to me."
"That farm we visited years ago?" Emily asked.
"That's the one. It's just sitting there after Dad died. I figured Faith's family could think of something to do with it." Claire nodded. "They don't get a damn thing now. Everything that belongs to me goes to you three kids and
only
you three kids. Property, investments, cash. All of it."
"Us three?" Banri frowned. He made two mistakes just then. He put too much emphasis on the word 'three' and he had frowned.
"Yes, bug. Three. Why is that surprising?" Claire put her hands on the table and stared down at him.
"Yeah, Banri. Why?" Emily glared. It took Zoe a second to realize before she joined the women in glaring at Banri.
"No reason. Just confirming."
"You're my son, Banri."
"I know."
"No. It still looks like you don't." Claire snapped. "You have been my son since the second I got the phone call saying your parents and sister died."
"Sorry." Banri's ears burned as he stared at the table. He had fucked up bad. What else could he do?
"You are getting a third of my things because you're my
son
."
"Yes, ma'am."
Claire moved to hug him from behind and kiss his ear. "I love you, middle bug. Please stop being surprised when I say you're mine."
Banri wondered if she would still say that if she found out about what was going on between him and her daughters. If she knew about what he did with Zoe the other night, would she still hug him like this?
***
"That was a great open house!" Simon shut the door behind the last couple. "Offers will start coming in over the next few days."
"That's great." I said, sitting down on the bare floor. All the furniture had been moved out to a storage unit and all the memories I wanted to keep were in a guest room back home, waiting to be sorted through. I hated how empty the place was now. But at least it had a reason to feel so lifeless now that everything had been taken out of it. "Be sure to ask each of them the question I gave you. Best answer gets the house."
"I have a feeling you're going to be one of those insane rich assholes that send people on dangerous treasure hunts to get rewarded with money."
"That sounds fun." I grinned.
"In one word, how would you describe your family?" Simon sighed as he sat down next to me. "You're asking people this. Do
you
have an answer?"
"Forged."
"Forged." Simon repeated. "I like it."
"Thanks. Came up with it right after you asked."
Simon laughed. "Great on the spot thinking then."
"I'm cool like that."
"That you are..." Simon looked at me. He was giving me that look again. Like he was trying to read me. It didn't make me uncomfortable, but I did wonder why he did it. "Can I tell you a story?"
"Go ahead."
"Great." Simon's smile was small as he stared at the floor. For the first time since I had met him, he looked old. His shoulders slumped and wrinkles appeared on his face as if from nowhere. "When I was 15 years old, my parents were murdered. Home invasion. My Dad tried to use his gun, but the robber was a better shot. Mom was next. I was sleeping over at a friend's house or I would have died too."
"Did they ever catch the guy?"
"No." Simon shook his head. "Afterwards, I went to live with my aunt and uncle. They had two kids of their own, a boy and a girl. My aunt and uncle treated me like a son and my cousins treated me like a brother. They didn't have to do any of that, but they did. I think you would be able to empathize with how grateful I felt and still feel."
They didn't have to, but they did. I just nodded. "It never goes away."
"It won't." Simon laughed humorlessly. "No matter how old you get, you'll always feel like a lost little boy who was rescued by a few beautiful souls. It's both humbling and frustrating."
"Frustrating?"
"Do you like feeling indebted to someone?"
So that's what the ache was. It wasn't just being grateful. I felt like I owed Mom and the girls. Of course I did. They had done so much. How could I not pay them back? "No."
"Me neither. When I turned 35, I finally saved enough money to send my family on a vacation around Europe. You know what the first question out of their mouth was?"
"What?"
"Why there were only four plane tickets." Simon answered. "They asked why I wasn't coming with them."
"Because it was a gift for them not you."
"That's what I said." His laugh was still humorless. "They had a fit and refused to go unless I went with them, so I let them all buy me a ticket. It messed with the hotel reservations and other things I had planned but we made it work." He looked at me. "Claire told me about that little question you asked after she said she was rewriting her will."
"Oh." I looked away. So that's what this was about. Mom had sent her boyfriend after me.
"She didn't tell me to talk to you about it if that's what you're thinking."
"Shit are you a mind reader too?"
"No. You're just a lot like me."
"You think very highly of yourself."
"You have no idea." Simon laughed. He looked young again. "Banri you're good with money. Tell me this. Is it a debt when person C gives person B something and doesn't expect it to be given back or paid for?"
"No." I knew where he was going with this.
"Then what is it?"
"A gift."
"Bingo." Simon slow clapped. "Claire, Emily and Zoe don't expect a goddamn thing from you. Get them all the gifts you want. Take them on trips and buy them all their favorite food. Be reckless with your money. But do it because you love them, and you feel like it. Not because you're trying to pay them back. Might as well just slap them in the face."
"How am I supposed to stop feeling like I owe them then?" I let the back of my head bump the wall.
"You won't. The feeling will get less powerful, but it won't go away."
"So I live with it."
"Yep. The curse of gratitude." Simon stood up and gave me his hand so I could as well. "But you can make the feeling weaker if you stop going along with its impulses. Stop feeding it. That takes practice."
"Thanks, Simon." I hugged him. He needed to at least think he had helped.
"Anytime." He firmly patted my back a few times. "Let's pick up some beers and hang out with the girls. How's that sound?"
"That always sounds good." I smiled. "Hey, I actually had something to ask you."
"Shoot."
"Do you know a good lawyer?"
"You going to sue me?"
"Nah." I laughed. "I had a fiduciary law professor that went on and on about getting a will or trust made as soon as possible. I've got money now. Thought it'd be a good idea. Mom rewriting hers reminded me."
Simon stared at me. Like he was trying to read me. I stared right back. Finally he nodded. "Yeah. I know one. I'll give you his number."
***
A few weeks later, I drove back to the House and saw that Simon's car and another I didn't recognize were on the driveway. Simon had found a potential buyer very quickly and had called to tell me that their answer to my question was perfect. I wanted to hear it from them, so I asked them to meet me at the place.
"Banri." Simon walked me over to the couple. Over their shoulders I saw two kids playing in the backyard. A sister and her little brother. "This is Andy and Hannah Penn."
"Nice to meet you." I shook both their hands. "Those your kids?"
Hannah nodded. "That's Luna, she's ten. And that's Andy Junior, he just turned six last week."
"Cute kids." I smiled. Luna was currently throwing acorns at her brother. "Simon mentioned that you're an AP Biology teacher, Andy. What about you, Hannah?"
"I'm a nurse over at St. David's."
"Hey, my mom works there. Do you know a Dr. Claire Rossi?"
"Cardiologist?"
"Yes she is."
"What a cool coincidence!" Hannah smiled. "I don't actually work in her department, but I've met her a few times. She's so nice!"
"She is very nice." I nodded. "Hate to jump right to it but I'm curious. What was y'all's answer to my question?"
"Salvation." Andy answered. He hadn't taken an eye off the kids since we started talking.
"Wow. Why do you say that?"
"I uh..." Hannah looked at her husband. He nodded encouragingly. "I had a severe drinking problem. I couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried. I was ruining my life and my marriage. Andy won't admit to it, but I know that if it kept going I would have driven him away." She ignored Andy's head shaking. "Then I got pregnant with Luna. Suddenly I had all the motivation in the world to quit. I couldn't hurt my baby. She saved me and my marriage. Then we had Andy Junior and things got even better."
"That's beautiful. Congratulations on beating your addiction. I know how hard it is." I smiled. She must really love her family if she was finally able to kick her drinking. "You were right, Simon. I do love the answer."
"Great!" Andy beamed. "The house is a little out of our price range but... if it's for those two we can manage it. Somehow."
"A friend of mine is opening an urgent care clinic. I can work there part time." Hannah said. "And Andy is thinking of giving guitar lessons."
"So don't worry." Andy added. "We'll find a way to pay for everything. Worst case, what are savings for?"
That's not right. That's not right at all. They spend all their time making money to afford a house they're getting for their kids. And by doing that, they'd be ignoring the people they were working themselves to the bones for. Luna and Junior would be strangers to their parents. I smiled at them. "I love how devoted you two are. Could I talk to you for a second, Simon?"
