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  Caroline and Susan tiptoed downstairs, watching silently while Allie played. “It’s like she’s playing for the last time,” Caroline whispered. “You go on back to bed, Mom. I’ll talk to her.”

  Susan nodded and started upstairs. She looked back at her daughters and opened her mouth to speak, but instead shook her head and went up.

  Caroline walked into the living room, sat down on the piano bench next to Allie, and waited patiently until Allie finished the piece and dropped her arms in exhaustion. Caroline put her arm around Allie’s shoulder, gave it a gentle squeeze, and said, “We’ll get through this as a family, I promise.”

  Allie nodded. Finally she put her head on her sister’s shoulder, tears spilling from her eyes. “Why is he doing this to us, Car?”

  Caroline sighed. “Dad doesn’t seem to have any backbone where Sharlene’s concerned.”

  “It’s not fair!” Allie looked her sister in the eye. “And you sure didn’t try very hard to tell me.”

  “You’re right. I shouldn’t have chickened out. I’m so sorry.”

  Allie sobbed for a minute. Then she sat up, wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, flexed her fingers, and started playing again, this time more quietly. Caroline hugged Allie’s shoulder once more and headed back to bed.

  Chapter Four

  “Mom, you have got to be kidding!” Allie threw her handbag on the floor of her bedroom, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes.

  Susan and Allie had just gotten back from a tour of their new house. Now Susan surveyed her middle daughter’s bedroom in their soon-to-be former home, and it was a wreck. Items were divided into either packing boxes, bags designated for charity, or things to be thrown into the trash, and the boxes Allie had brought home from school were stacked everywhere. There was barely enough room to walk from the door to the bed.

  Susan felt completely helpless. “Allie, you’ve got to calm down. I know this is hard, but…”

  Allie waded through the boxes, kicked aside a few bags of giveaways, and unearthed her laptop from under a pile of clothes on the bed. She sat down on top of everything, opened it and started typing furiously.

  “What are you doing?” Susan asked, peering over her shoulder.

  “I sent Brittany an email telling her about that tiny house.” Allie looked up at her mother and scowled. “How do you expect us to downsize from five thousand square feet to eighteen hundred?”

  Susan sighed in frustration, but it dawned on her that there might still be hope. Allie’s close friend Brittany Martin, Emily’s niece from Oklahoma, might be a voice of reason in this fiasco. “Did Brittany reply?”

  Allie groaned and turned her attention to the computer. “Yeah, she says, ‘I’m so sad about all this—Aunt Emily emailed me. Why don’t you come up to Chicago and visit sometime this summer? I’m going to be staying with Aunt Emily and Aunt Sara most of the month of July while my parents are off on a cruise to Greece. Some kind of second honeymoon thing.’” Allie lifted an eyebrow. “Brittany’s going to spend part of the summer in Chicago? Usually she stays home, working at that boutique to earn money for college.”

  Susan felt like she’d just been thrown a lifeline, at least as far as Allie was concerned. “You should go. To Chicago, I mean. Spending time with Brittany away from all this might be just what you need.”

  Allie shook her head. “I just left a few days ago, and you know how I hate all that urban congestion. I can’t even think about going back.” She heaved a sigh. “This is all Sharlene’s fault.”

  Susan shook her head and picked her way across the cluttered room to the door. “Partly, but I’m also to blame. At least give Brittany’s offer some thought, okay?”

  Allie slammed her laptop shut and collapsed face down on her bed. Susan slipped out of the room.

  ****

  Caroline rapped lightly on Richard’s open office door. He was studying something on his computer and frowning.

  “Come in.” He motioned for her to enter and pointed to his screen. “I just had a message from Sharlene about our recently blended families.” Richard was blushing, and Caroline thought it must be embarrassment at his sister’s antics. It had to be, because it wouldn’t have anything to do with her. Would it?

  “What does she say?”

  Richard blew out a puff of air. “She wants me at her house—your house—Daniel’s house—moving day. I have no idea what for, since as she says, she’s got ‘people’ to do all the actual moving.” He shoved his chair away from the computer, leaned his elbows on his desk, and rubbed his temples. “I still can’t believe my sister is married to your father.”

  Caroline came all the way into his office and eased into a chair opposite his desk. “It’s so, I don’t know, like on that soap opera Mom watches all the time; everyone’s related to everyone else by marriage or something, and it gets so convoluted.” She gave him a rueful smile.

  Richard laughed. He reached out for her hand resting on his desk but quickly drew back. He sat up straight in his chair and cleared his throat. “Now what can I do for you? And why are you still here at this hour?”

  Caroline fiddled with the pencil holder on Richard’s desk. Being this close to him, joking around, was as wonderful as it was uncomfortable. “I had a few last-minute ends to tie up.”

  Richard shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “You should go home. I’m sure you have packing left to do.” He moved the pencil holder back where it was, and then just started randomly moving items around on his desk. “How are Allie and Megan handling all this?”

  Caroline stood up and was about to place her hands on Richard’s to slow his nervous energy, thought better of it, and instead moved closer to the door. “Not too well, actually, but it’s nice of you to ask. This is really hard on Allie, and bewildering for Megan.”

  “She’s a tough kid, and I’m sure she’ll adjust. If you need any help…I mean, if your family needs any help…” Richard turned away, blushing again. After a moment of silence, he gave her a polite nod and said, “Well, have a nice Memorial Day weekend.”

  “Thanks. You, too.” Caroline closed the door behind her and breathed deeply, willing her queasy stomach to calm down. She gave her desk a quick straightening before heading out the front door.

  “Lucy! What are you still doing here?” Caroline asked when she reached the reception desk. Lucy was engrossed in a romance novel and didn’t even look up.

  “Too much traffic. Besides, I have to come to work to get some rest, what with two helpless guys at home. And one of them isn’t even in diapers.” Lucy looked up and winked, making Caroline giggle. “I’ll leave in about half an hour after the traffic dies down.”

  “Do you have plans for the holiday weekend?” Caroline asked.

  Lucy turned a page in her book. “Jonathan and his brother have tickets to the Indy 500, so I’ll be home chasing after a toddler.” She looked up from her book. “Is there anything you need?”

  Caroline shook her head. “No. Just wondered.”

  Lucy shrugged. “Maybe you just need a little TLC.” She reached across the waist-high reception desk, stretching as far as her growing belly would allow, and gave Caroline’s shoulders a quick squeeze. “Don’t let Sharlene get you down, Caroline. That one’s a handful.”

  Caroline smiled. “You’re a good friend, Lucy.”

  Chapter Five

  “Emily Martin! It’s so good to see you here in Indianapolis again.” Frank Kinley beamed as he shook Emily’s hand and ushered her and Susan into the conference room.

  “You too, Frank.” Emily plopped her briefcase on the conference table.

  “And this must be Susan Benedict, our homebuyer.” Frank turned and politely shook her hand, and then held a chair for her. “You come highly recommended from our sorely missed colleague here. Emily was our top saleswoman before she allowed herself to be lured to Chicago.”

  Susan laughed. “Nice to meet you, too, Frank. I have to admit I miss having her here in town, but
she’s managing to keep your office up there pretty busy.”

  “Not to mention the killing I made on that downtown brownstone Sara had her eye on.” Emily winked at Frank.

  “How is Ms. Whetstone anyway? Still running that law firm with an iron fist?”

  Emily’s wife, Sara Whetstone, was a partner in the Chicago firm of Moreland, Kurtis and Whetstone, and licensed to practice in both Indiana and Illinois.

  “Slight exaggeration, Frank.”

  Frank folded his arms and leaned against the wooden cabinet adjacent to the table. “Well, she’s got that reputation as a tough lawyer to maintain.”

  Susan laughed. “Did you ever hear how they met, Frank? Sara stepped on Emily’s foot.”

  Frank looked puzzled. “Stepped on her foot?”

  Emily shrugged. “Well, it was summer and I was wearing shorts and sandals. Sara was with a client and had on a suit and spike heels.”

  “Ouch!” Frank winced.

  Emily got down to business. “So are we going to close this house today, Frank?”

  “Yes, but unfortunately, I have another appointment, so I’m going to turn this over to Jared McIntyre. He’s young, but he’s a capable mortgage loan officer.” Frank picked up the phone on the wall near the corner cabinet. “Jared, we’re ready for you.” He turned to Susan and smiled at her once more. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Susan. Good luck.”

  “Am I going to need it?” Suddenly Susan’s confidence flagged. This was a big step, both financially and emotionally. She fidgeted with one of the many pens lying on the conference table, fumbled it, and then watched it hit the floor.

  “Don’t worry, Susan, you’ll be fine.” Emily picked up the pen, put it back on the table, and plopped down in one of the chairs. “I already told you, federal money is set aside for teachers in the public sector.”

  “I guess they figured most of those teachers would be young,” Susan said with a sigh.

  Emily laughed, shook her head, and began taking the closing papers out of her briefcase. “Courage, dear. You’ve bought houses before.”

  Susan could swear she actually felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins. “Not on my own. And certainly not without a down payment. The monthly mortgage payment is going to be a stretch on a teacher’s salary.”

  “And Megan’s child support. Don’t forget about that,” Emily reminded her.

  Susan nodded. She was grateful that, thanks to Emily, Sara Whetstone had agreed to be her attorney during the divorce three years ago. As it was, details about her future finances had somehow slipped by her as she numbly signed the divorce papers in all the places Sara indicated. It wasn’t till later that she actually read them and realized the ramifications of what she’d agreed to. She vaguely remembered Sara trying to warn her, but at the time Susan was too shell-shocked to pay any attention to the details.

  Susan sighed. “It’s been three years since the divorce, Emily. And I’m still so unsure about all this.” She shuddered just as the conference room door opened. Emily and Susan both looked up, expecting to see Jared.

  “Caroline!” Susan exclaimed. She stood up and hugged her daughter. “What brings you here?”

  “Well, Meadows Advertising is only down the hall, Mom. I was on my way to the post office, but I thought I’d stop in and see how it was going.”

  “Hopefully we’re about to finally get started.” Emily stood and gave Caroline a quick hug as the door opened. “You must be Jared.”

  An attractive man in his late twenties walked in. He was medium height with sandy blond hair, but from his broad shoulders and slim frame, it appeared he exercised regularly. He wore an expensive business suit with a silk tie and carried a stack of papers for the closing that he placed on the conference room table with a thud. He took a seat across from Susan and Emily, grabbed a pen off the table and scribbled on scratch paper to make sure it had ink.

  “Ladies, shall we begin?” He was all business until he looked up and caught sight of Caroline. “Uh, aren’t you…?”

  Caroline blushed as Jared stared at her. “Yes, I’m Caroline Benedict, from down the hall. But I’m not staying. I just stopped in to congratulate my mom on her new beginning.” She kissed Susan on the cheek, waved at Emily, and hurriedly left.

  Emily winked at Susan. “Yes, indeed, we are making new beginnings today.”

  ****

  Susan yawned, stretched, and glanced at the clock on the stove. “Moving day. And it’s not even six a.m. yet.” But she was too keyed up to sleep, so she might as well get busy.

  As she stood for the last time in the kitchen of her Belford home, memories of raising her children here came flooding back. Everywhere she looked were reminders: the hash marks on the kitchen door where she’d measured Caroline’s, Allie’s and Megan’s growth every year; the backyard swing still attached to the old oak tree; the front yard where Caroline and Allie had played kickball with the neighbors while Megan cooed in her stroller. All their childhood milestones were here, and now everything was packed into boxes, ready to move to a much smaller house miles away in Indianapolis. Susan sipped a cup of freshly-brewed coffee from the yet-to-be-packed Keurig and surveyed the mess.

  “Good morning.” Emily, dressed in old jeans and a faded Chicago Cubs t-shirt, was navigating her way through the boxes cluttering the kitchen floor. She opened and closed several empty cabinets until she finally found one unpacked coffee mug, a packet of sweetener, and then made herself a cup of coffee. “Are you ready for this?”

  Susan snapped out of her memories and sighed. “I can’t believe this day has actually come.”

  Emily blew on her coffee. “When do the movers get here?”

  “About nine. I hired one of those local moving companies that charges by the hour to move the heavy furniture, but the girls and I are moving as much of our own stuff as possible. It’ll save money.”

  “Well, that’s why I’m here, too, you know. Shall we get going?”

  Susan nodded and swallowed a big gulp of her own coffee. “I guess I have to. My life is waiting.” She walked out of the kitchen into the dining room. There was still a lot to do.

  Emily sat down in a chair next to a heavy box, propped up her feet, and sipped her coffee. “Hey, Susan,” she called through the house, her voice echoing, “What furniture are you actually taking?”

  Susan looked around at the disarray and shook her head. She and Caroline had walked through the house a week before, trying to decide what would fit, but now Susan had qualms about their decisions.

  Caroline, with her usual pragmatism, had asked, “What do we absolutely have to take?”

  “Well, I just bought this sofa and loveseat three years ago, right before…” Susan had looked wistfully at the royal blue microfiber sofa with matching loveseat she’d admired so much during happier times. “And since we have to have something to sit on in the—what shall we call that room in the new house?”

  Caroline had shrugged. “I guess it’s a family room.” She started making a list. “Then we’ll also need a coffee table and end tables to fill out the room. Which ones?”

  “We’ll take these.” Susan pointed to the refurbished antique cherry-wood coffee table and their two matching end tables. “I’m sure if we don’t take them, Sharlene will have them on the trash heap before we even pull out of the drive.”

  “Lamps?”

  “Let’s just take the two floor lamps that are in the corner by the bookshelf. Which has to stay here because there’s no room for it in the Rosslyn house. No room for that overstuffed chair and ottoman either. And forget about the dining room set. The dinette in the kitchen will have to do.” Susan had sighed.

  Caroline had nodded in agreement. “Now what about the bedrooms?”

  “We must take Megan’s bedroom furniture. She’s had to give up too much already. Do you think it will all fit in her new room?”

  “It’ll be tight, but I think so. What about your bedroom furniture, Mom?”

  “The
king-size bed is way too big. I guess I’ll just take the queen-size bed from the guest room. The smaller dresser and one nightstand from the master bedroom’s about all I have space for.” Susan had frowned. “And there’s really no room for yours and Allie’s bedroom sets, either. Sorry you and Allie have to share a room, Car.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Mom. As soon as I get my finances in order, I’m going to find my own place. In the meantime, what if Allie and I take the furniture out of Megan’s old bedroom, the one you turned into an office? You know, the twin beds and two dressers, and put them in our bedroom? Also, we can take the computer desk, since it isn’t very big and should fit under the window.”

  Susan called to Emily from the formal dining room. “Caroline and I settled on a few things. Hope everything fits.”

  Time flew by as Susan and Emily finished up the last-minute details, but Caroline came downstairs after about an hour and jumped in to help as well. The movers arrived on time and set to work hauling large boxes and furniture to the van, which they had parked blocking the walkway in front of the ornate, double-wide wooden door. Emily and Caroline sealed boxes and carried both packed and unpacked items to their cars, parked at the edge of the circular driveway, out of the way of the moving van. Caroline finished taping up boxes of last-minute items and labeled them with magic marker: kitchen, bathroom toiletries, cleaning supplies, and bed linens. Emily got the vacuum out and started to go over the floors and carpets, but Susan waved her off; let Sharlene’s cleaning crew swoop in and re-clean everything.

  Susan stood by the front door with a clipboard and check-off list given to her by the movers. “Emily, can you ask Megan to make sure everything is out of her closet and bathroom?” She flipped through the pages on her list and checked off the loveseat as two men maneuvered it through the front door.