Distractions by J. L. Brooks

Author:J. L. Brooks [Brooks, J. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-05-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23 - Foundations

She was my rock and she knew it. I felt like a terrible granddaughter for essentially abandoning her that day. The last time I stepped foot in this house, I was just moments from teetering on the edge as a result of Connor’s actions and the mess I created. I had to make something of myself so she knew her efforts spent on me were not in vain. She constantly reminded me of how smart I was, saying I could do anything I put my mind to. I inherited her tenacious nature; we never spoke of recklessness, but part of me wondered where that came from, too.

I always felt like Vivienne and I were proof her lineage was substantial. She would always comment about not understanding how my mother could be so detached from reality, when she herself resided in the cold hard truth. Until I grew older, I never understood, either. Streams of sunlight poured in through the old cotton drapes. A fine layer of dust rested upon every surface, undisturbed by our presence.

Connor followed silently as I walked listlessly through every room. I didn’t allow myself to come here, since up until yesterday, I thought it was as good as gone. I had already mentally packed up and shipped everything off to donation centers. It’s what she would have wanted – to help others. There was nothing in the house I was seeking except the ship. She knew she was getting sick and insisted on visiting me and Vivienne as often as she could. She loved both Cincinnati and Florida. Each time she would make sure to send a small box of things she thought we would want. There were still so many items in every room; I could not find my grandfather’s beloved Esperanza. It was packed away long ago, and there was no more time to search for it today.

I walked by Connor, simply tilted my head towards the door, and kept going. Not a word was exchanged between us during the time we were in there. He knew what happened because he tried to come after me. My grandfather told him he would shoot him on sight if he ever caught him on his property again after what he did. I am pretty sure that is what any father or grandfather says to a young man after they break their little lady’s heart. Connor took the warning seriously, as he should have, and had not been back except to drop off my belongings in the middle of the night on their front porch with an apology letter. They never told me about either incident. It came out by accident when I called one of their neighbors after my grandfather’s death, which happened shortly after I left.

The box was still sitting on a chair in one of the bedrooms I passed. I didn’t recognize it because I had never seen it. Noticing Connor was not following me, I back tracked my steps to the spare bedroom and found him sitting on the bed, holding a letter.

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