Unintended Consequences - By Marti Green

Chapter

20





“I realize it’s only been a week, but have you thought about what you’re going to do with your mother’s house?”

Nancy’s question startled Sunny. She felt a rush of tears and struggled to hold them back. She couldn’t bear parting with the house on Aspen Road. Not yet, at least. Later, when the pain of her mother’s death wasn’t so intense. She knew, though, that her reluctance stemmed from a secret wish that they would return to that house when Eric finished his residency. That was just a little more than a year away.

Byron was a wonderful place to raise a family, with its tree-lined streets, good schools, and neighbors who looked out for each other. Her mother had met Nancy when she lived in the house next door. They’d quickly become friends and remained so after Nancy and her husband moved.

“I don’t want to sell it, Nancy. Maybe after Eric finishes here, when we know where we’ll end up. But not yet.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know a handyman who can close it up. You know, drain the pipes and those sorts of things. I hope I’m not being too practical for you now, but there are some matters you should deal with right away.”

“No, you’re right. Is there something else I should be doing?”

“Well, you need to cancel the phone and cable service, things like that. And do you know if your mom left a will?”

“No. We never talked about that. I never thought that Mom might die. I mean, of course I knew it would happen someday, just not so soon.”

“Well, whether she did or didn’t, you’ll need a lawyer to transfer the house into your name. Make sure everything is done proper and all. I can recommend an estate attorney if you’d like.”

“You’ve been a godsend during this whole ordeal, Nancy. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

After they finished their conversation and said their goodbyes, Sunny went back to cleaning up the breakfast dishes. She felt an ache in her chest when she thought of her mother, of their strong bond and their fierce love for each other. Her mother had been her best friend and now she was gone. Her ties to Byron were severed.

Manhattan life seemed so different from life in Byron. No one smiled. No one made small talk when they passed in the hallway or rode together in the elevator. Thank goodness for play dates, when children got together while their mothers watched and gabbed. At least then she had some women to talk to. Not that they talked about anything serious. Sunny called it “empty talk.” What movies they’d seen, what had happened on the latest installment of their favorite television shows, what gossip they’d heard. Sunny would never discuss with them the isolation she felt in this imposing city, how inadequate she sometimes felt raising a child, how she yearned to be living in a small town.

She’d had a wonderful childhood in Byron and wanted the same for Rachel. Instead of organized play dates, the children on her street would go door to door gathering friends. They’d ride their bikes up and down the block, make up games to play in their backyards, explore the nooks and crannies in each other’s homes. When they were at Sunny’s house, her mother would often be planted at the kitchen table, lost in discussion with Nancy. Sometimes Sunny would catch snippets of their conversation, so she knew they’d shared their deepest concerns and desires.

She heard rustling coming from Rachel’s bedroom, a sign that she was stirring from her nap. Rachel usually awoke with a lusty cry, but if she saw Sunny sitting on her bed and stroking her arm, she awoke with a smile. Sunny headed to the bedroom.

“Hi, sleepyhead,” she said as Rachel opened her eyes. “Want some ju-ju?”

“Yeth, pul ju-ju.”

Sunny knew she meant apple juice. “Okay, scoot out of bed and let’s go get some.”

“And then pay with Billy?”

“No, sweetie, not today.”

“I want Billy,” she whined.

How could she explain to her daughter that she was still too sad to sit with other women and engage in “empty talk.” “We’ll go to the zoo today. How about that?”

“And we’ll see the aminals?”

“Yes, and you can feed the goats and sheep if you’d like.”

Rachel’s face glowed with her smile. “Yippee.”

How easy to please a three-year-old, Sunny thought. If only life stayed that way.