Till We Meet Again (19 page)

     I shook my head. “What did she say?” he asked.

     “Actually nothing.”

     “Nothing?” Charles said with doubt in his voice.

     “Nope. She stayed absolutely quiet. Actually, when Caroline told us on the beach today your mother laid down and seemed to pretend to be asleep. Caroline kept calling her, but she wouldn’t answer. It was a bit awkward.”

     “I noticed she was quiet during dinner tonight but I thought she had other things on her mind.”

     “She did,” I said. “Caroline and Japan.”

     Charles sighed. “She’s still upset about Daniel and Diane moving to California years ago. She’ll be devastated if Caroline actually moves to Japan. It’s one thing to go there for four months it’s a totally different thing living there. Missy Lizzy likes her family near.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early Sunday morning I went for a run on the beach. Running along the shore during the sunrise and with the waves crashing there was a sense of peace and calm that fell over me. I felt so blessed. I was determined not to let anyone ruin my mood. Frankly, I couldn’t understand how anyone could be in a bad mood if they lived like this every day. Thinking of Diane, but that was her issue. Not mine.

At the end of my run I ran on the trail through the woods, across the lawn, up the patio stairs, and through the sliding glass doors leading into the kitchen. As I walked into the kitchen for something to drink Miss Sophie was taking fresh baked biscuits out of the oven. Darn! There goes the calories I just burned from my run.

     “Good morning Miss Sophie,” I said going into the refrigerator for a glass of orange juice.

     “Oh good morning Simone. Out for a run this morning?” she asked.

As she put the biscuits down on the cooling rack on the counter, the aroma from the bacon was wreaking havoc on my goal to start eating healthier.

     “Yes, but these biscuits are going to cancel anything I lost from the run,” I said eyeing them.

     “I got something to fix that.” With that Sophie pulled out a homemade fruit cup from the refrigerator.

As she handed it to me with a spoon I looked at her.

     “Really Miss Sophie?” I asked with my voice and face full of doubt.

     “Just start with the fruit and wait a few moments so you won’t be tempted to eat too many biscuits and bacon,” she winked at me.

     Shrugging my shoulders I said, “Good point.” So I sat down at the breakfast bar of the kitchen island and dug in.

She smiled at me then turned to the stove and started making scrambled eggs.

     “You know Simone I’ve never seen Mr. Charles so happy before,” she turned to me. “That’s all because of you.”

     “Thank you, Miss Sophie. He makes me very happy too.”

     “I truly believe if Miss Jacqueline was here she would be very happy too.”

     I put my spoon down. “Oh thank you Miss Sophie,” I said “That means a lot to me,” I said feeling very touched.

     “No, I mean it,” she said turning back to the eggs. “She would love the way you two care for each other. How you do all you can to make each other happy. He can’t stop talking about that New Orleans trip. And that reminds me.” She turned to me gesturing with the big fork in her hand. “Don’t you let that Diane upset you. I see the way she acts towards you. She’ll come around. She’s been Daddy’s little princess all her life. She’s use to being her daddy’s number 1.”

     “But I don’t want to come between Charles and his daughter,” I said.

     “But you will,” she said. “Not in a bad way. It’s a part of life. It’s called growing up. Soon she’ll meet someone, fall in love and have a husband. Her daddy will always have a special place in her heart. She won’t love him any less just different. It’s the same with you and Charles. Now that he has you, Diane will still be his little girl but part of his heart now belongs to you. That’s just the way life is sometimes.”

Scooping the eggs up into a platter Miss Sophie continues. “And now Miss Caroline has found someone. I think it’s a lot more serious then she wants to admit…even to herself.”

     Sophie sighs. “Both my babies all grown up.”

I laughed to myself because they both grew up ages ago but Miss Sophie still seems them as her babies. I guess that’s a part of growing up too.

     “It makes letting go easier,” she said.

     I looked up just finishing my fruit cup. “Are you thinking of retiring Miss Sophie?”

     Miss Sophie laughed. “Retiring? No I would never think of retiring. Wouldn’t know what to do with myself. But some decisions are taken away from you,” she continued looking off in the distance.

     “Miss Sophie,” I said. “Is there something wrong?”

     “Oh my girl, I’m afraid so,” she said with tears in her eyes. “When you all came in the other day and caught me daydreaming I had just gotten off the phone with my doctor.”

She hesitated and I swallowed hard knowing I wasn’t going to like what she was about to say.

     “It looks like the cancer has come back.”

     “No!” I shouted quickly putting my hand over my mouth.

     “Yes, I’m afraid so. But this time it’s aggressive and it has spread. The doctor said based on the test results it looks like I have less than six months to live.”

     “No, Miss Sophie, no!” I walked over to her and hugged her. “What about chemo; radiation? Does Dr. Dupree know?” I said looking at her face. “He can probably get in touch with some of his colleagues and have them put you in some of the experimental programs. You don’t know they could have something that can help you.” With tears streaming down my face, “You know the Dupree’s will do all they can to save you. You can’t give up.”

     She patted me on the back. “There, there now Simone. Don’t get yourself all worked up. Of course Dr. Dupree would call in some favors and have them experiment on me. But I don’t want that. I don’t want my last months on this earth being hooked up to machines and strangers shooting God knows what in my veins. I’m not afraid to die Simone. I just want to die in peace.”

Looking into her eyes I knew there was no arguing with her. I rubbed her arm. “Do any of the Dupree’s know?” I asked.

     She shook her head. “No, you’re the only one. And you’re not to tell them. I’ll tell them soon enough.”

     “Why me?”

     “Because I’m counting on you to hold this family together.” She looked at me sternly. “When Miss Jacqueline went to be with the Lord they fell apart. Now I’m not comparing myself to Miss Jacqueline but they will need you. The Duprees come off strong and they are in a lot of ways. Some families when things are tough they become closer. The Duprees do too but before they get there they fall apart. They need someone to put them back together. And that would be you. You’re a part of this family now, Simone, whether you realize it or not. And Mr. Charles is going to need you more now than ever. He was never the same once his grandmother passed. I need you to remind him of who he is….he is strong, intelligent, resourceful. He’s a Dupree. I’m counting on you, Simone, to remind him…to remind them all.”

With that Daniel and Diane walked into the kitchen like a whirlwind. Talking and laughing. I turned my body to the kitchen sink and wiped my eyes so they couldn’t see that I had been crying.

     “I’m starving Miss Sophie, what you got good for me today?” Daniel said reaching for the biscuits.

     Slapping his hand away, “Boy if you don’t get away from those biscuits,” Miss Sophie laughed.

     “Nobody makes biscuits like you Miss Sophie,” Daniel said giving her a hug. “I’m going to miss you when we go back to California.”

I turned towards them. Miss Sophie was looking at me over Daniel’s shoulder. As she patted his back and squeezed him tight she said, “I’m gonna miss you too my sweet boy…I’m gonna miss you too.”

My eyes filled with tears as the rest of the family came in laughing and talking without a care in the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that same afternoon Lizzy was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, which was very uncharacteristic for her. She told us that Sophie wasn’t feeling quite right again and with the Dupree Annual Fourth of July BBQ tomorrow there were a million and one things to be done. Lizzy said she hired a catering service and staff but they wouldn’t arrive until early the next morning. And the house was too much for the young girl hired to assist Sophie. The house looked immaculate to me so I really wasn’t sure what needed to be done. She asked Diane and me to drive her into town as she had some last minute things to pick up.

     “Simone, I have things I need to do here in the house,” Lizzy said while putting the vacuum cleaner away. “Can you and Diane take the car and pick up the items on this list?” She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket.

     “Ah,” looking at but not really seeing the items on the list I said “Why don’t you let me know what needs to be done here. I can help you and it’ll take half the time.” Not wanting to take the car ride with just Diane and me, I was praying Lizzy would take me up on the offer.

     “No, no,” she waved me off. “Only Sophie knows exactly how I like things. No offense.”

     “None taken,” I said feeling disappointed.

     “Just have them charge it to our account,” Lizzy called after me as I went in search of Diane.

Not finding her on the main floor I went upstairs to check her bedroom. Her bedroom door had been left ajar. As I lifted my hand to knock I heard my name mentioned. I stopped.

     “Simone is so good for your dad. She makes him happy. Doesn’t that matter to you?” I heard Caroline say in an exasperated voice.

     “Whatever,” Diane mumbled.

     “How long do you think your dad is going to put up with you treating her like you’ve been doing?” Caroline asked.

     “Not long,” answered Diane. “He already spoke to me.”

     “Did he?” Caroline asked.

Hmmmm…I was surprised to hear that.

     “He said she told him not to say anything to me because she didn’t want me to think she was coming in between us. But he told me to cut the crap. You know in that way that he does?”

     “Yea,” laughed Caroline. “In a way that lets you know you’ve crossed the line one time too many.”

     “Yea that way.” Diane sounded sullen.

     “What’s the deal, Diane?”

     “I don’t know,” Diane started to sound like a young kid. There was silence, “What if she hurts him?”

     “What?” Caroline said. “Why would she hurt him? She loves him,” Caroline questioned.

     “It could still happen!” Diane said.

    “Yes, it could. But I can tell you one thing it would never be intentional. She’s not like that.”

Silence again.

      “Mommy hurt him,” Diane said sounding like a little girl again.

     “Yes, she did, Diane, but that was different.”

     “How? Hurt is hurt.”

     “Your mom was hurting herself. She had her own demons she had to deal with.”

     “Yes, I know,” Diane said quietly. “I’ve always known.”

     “What do you mean you’ve always known?” Caroline sounded surprised.

     “I was there.”

     “Where?” Caroline asked.

     “That Christmas when Dad wouldn’t let Mom in the house. I was hiding so neither of them could see me. I heard the whole thing. And I saw…I saw Daddy cry.”

My heart broke for Diane; picturing her as a little girl witnessing her parents hitting bottom.

     “Oh Diane,” Caroline said. “I’m so sorry sweetheart. I’m so sorry you had to see that.”

     “Yea, well,” Diane sounded stronger. “I decided right there and then not to let anyone hurt my dad again. Even when I went to California I made sure that Daddy was safe.”

     “Diane, it is not your responsibility to keep your parents safe or to ensure their happiness. Besides your dad is a big boy. He can take care of himself.”

     “Hmpf,” Diane said.

     “Oh, you don’t believe me?” Caroline said. “When you and Daniel went to California to keep an eye on your mother he didn’t want you to go. But he understood. And he survived. Let me tell you something, Diane.” Caroline continued. “You do all you can to take care of people…your parents, the patients at the clinic. But who takes care of you Diane? Who makes you happy? Who makes sure you’re safe?”

I could hear Diane cry. And then bitterness filled her voice. “It was fine till
she
came along.”

     “
She
is the woman your dad loves.
She
is the woman who makes him happy.
She
is part of this family whether you like it or not. It’s time you got on board with this Diane.”

     “Why?! Who’s going to pick up the pieces when she hurts him? You? You’re going to Japan. You won’t have time for this family.”

I could hear the hurt in Caroline’s voice. “Don’t do that Diane. Don’t make me feel guilty for daring to be happy. Besides your grandmother does a better job of it. And don’t make your dad feel guilty either. He deserves to be happy. He deserves a life of his own. He worked hard to be both mother and father to you and Daniel. And even though it broke his heart he understood yours and Daniel’s need to be near your mother. You built a life for yourself there. You have no reason to feel guilty and neither do your dad and I.”