Grandmother studied me for a long moment, at the end of which I could’ve sworn there was a hint of amusement and perhaps even pride in her eyes. “And that is?”
“When I graduate from college, I want you to fund an animal rescue. A sanctuary for lost, abandoned, and abused animals. Mom and I will take care of building it, and I’ll run it, but I want you to fund it, and I want your name on it, too. I want people to know how generous and kind you are, Grandmother, because under all of that attempting to control the truth about what happened to Ben and Amber, I know that you have a real heart. Because of what you did for Gina Greeley when the grief of losing her only child nearly killed her, I know. And, I also know that you could’ve paid off David Bishop, but you knew he’d never get another teaching job, and he was probably a pretty lost soul, too, so you took care of him, as well. So it’s in keeping with that same charitable spirit of yours, Grandmother, that I want you to help a lot more souls. And I want you to get the credit, because it’ll be deserved.”
My grandmother studied me for a long moment before she suddenly laughed lightly and brushed her nose delicately with one finger. Eyeing my mother, she said, “She gets that confidence from me, you know.”
“I do,” Mom said, smiling, too.
“Very well, Lily,” my grandmother said. “I agree to your terms, but I have one of my own.”
“Yes?” I asked.
“You must spend one Sunday a month with me for tea. I will not let you out of my life that easily.”
I grinned. “I can live with that.”
IN MID-OCTOBER, THE HEAT wave we’d had all summer finally broke, making the outdoor temps absolutely perfect for sitting outside on a Saturday, soaking up the sun and enjoying the outdoors.
Cole and I were relaxing in the new lounge chairs that Mom had bought. It was the perfect way to spend my birthday, chilling out on the deck, which extended from the new house we’d moved into the week before. It was so nice to be able to hang out in our very own place again.
Mom and Dad had come to an agreement about their divorce shortly after he and Grandmother made up. Well, made up the best that those two could. Dad and I were on speaking terms again, but only because he’d been making a huge effort to apologize to me. Hell, he’d even apologized to Mom, and for a man who almost never admitted when he was wrong, that was pretty big.
So we were all getting along much better, and Jenny had even been invited over for tea with Grandmother. I bet Jenny was loving that.
Still, Dad had asked me to be involved in my baby brother’s life when he finally arrived sometime in December. I’d agreed, although this whole big-sister thing was going to take some getting used to.
Cole’s grandmother had been indicted and was awaiting trial. I think Cole and I were both surprised that, once she got to the station, she’d made a full confession. Her lawyer, however, had talked her into pleading not guilty, and I couldn’t imagine what kind of a defense he’d put on in the face of all the evidence Cole and I had uncovered as well as her confession. The trial would be months away, so we’d see.
Cole’s mom had been really upset by the whole thing, and I felt so sorry for her. She truly hadn’t known any of it, and I suspected she felt guilty for not having guessed it. In the week that followed the arrest of her mother, Mrs. Drepeau had shed a lot of tears, and Cole had been really worried about her. Who would’ve thought that my own grandmother would’ve stepped up without my asking her to do something really amazing to help Mrs. Drepeau move forward?
Grandmother had used her powerful position on the board of the hospital to get the administration to offer Stacey Drepeau the head RN job on the floor of the ICU. She’d be making a lot more money, and wouldn’t have to work any more weekends, and I thought that was probably a pretty good restitution on the part of my grandmother.
Another amazing thing had happened once the story hit the local news. A package had arrived and inside was a photo of Sara Radcliff and Amber, taken sometime during their senior year, or so the accompanying card said. Sara had written me a note that read,
Lily,
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. The best friend I ever had in the world is now finally at peace. And even though we only met briefly, I sense that you must be every bit a good soul, and a good friend as Amber was. Your best friend must be so lucky to have you in her life. May this photo rest next to the photo of the two of you to remind you that true friendships never die.
With love,
Sara