The House (9 page)

Edward held the doorknob for a moment, and then turning back, he said, “You deserved better.”

Anna breathed in his words not wanting to believe them, or that he had said spoken them.

“By the way, did you find a buyer?” he asked.

“A buyer?” She shook her head in an effort to clear her thoughts. “For the house. A buyer for the house, this
house
.”

“No.”

His cheeks softened. He seemed sad.

“Tell Elise—I assume she’s still handling the sale—tell her to call Bryce. He’ll put her in touch with some of our contacts around California and abroad. People are always looking to move here. With five bedrooms and four baths, this is the perfect home for an executive and family relocating to the area. You’d be surprised how many people outside the country are looking for homes here.”

“I’m sure they are.” Anna took in a breath.

Edward walked through the doorway and left.

A few minutes later, she followed him to what had been their bedroom for thirty-three years.

“Why are you doing this?”

“You need to sell the house.” Edward was in his pajamas and sit ting upon the bed. His thin feet stood upon the floor. “There’s no sense in you losing valuable advertising time while I’m here.”

“And what if someone wants to see it? They just barge in on a sick man?”

“I’m sure Elise made pictures. If not—”

“No.” Anna shook her head. “Why are you trying to help me sell the house? You battled for over a year,
fifteen months
, to prevent me from selling it.”

“You’re going to move to France, aren’t you?

“Yes, but—”

“Then, you need to sell the house.”

The words made no sense. That Edward had spoken them, defied conventional reasoning. But then their situation was anything but conventional.

“I don’t understand why you’re being so . ...so ... so
cooperative. Supportive
.” The onset and slow encroachment of Edward’s death could not change the years of hurt she had experienced as his wife.

Anna pondered Edward’s words hours after she had crawled into bed.
You need to sell the house
. And then, she mused upon her own continuing questions. Anna refused to trust what Edward said or did. Why was he being so amenable? Had he changed? How? Or was this simply another part of his plan to cheat death, or Anna?

During dinner, Edward had examined the palms of his hands edging toward frailness and trembling. His words
I could ask the same of you,
concerning Anna’s change of heart, rang aloud in her mind.
Why had she stopped plans of divorcing him?
She had ordered Elise to take the house off the market. She had the men remove the rental pieces and return the furniture that had been in storage to their original positions around the house. Anna had in effect re established things back to the way they were, or could have been, before she chose to divorce Edward.

Why
, she asked once more.

“Perhaps for the same reason you brought me back here. To let me die,” Edward had said.

To let me die.
His words resounded into Anna’s sleep followed by her voice echoing,
I love you.
?

Chapter 11

The next morning, Anna awoke to the smell of breakfast cooking. She showered and got dressed. Following the aroma of eggs and bacon, she descended the stairs. From the sound of the voices below, she concluded Theo had arrived.

“Well, hello stranger,” said Linda.

“It’s good to see you.” That was Theo.

“It’s about time.” Brad teased Theo about arriving after every one else.

“We were wondering where you were,” said Linda.

Reaching the base of the steps, Anna crossed the foyer and stood by the kitchen door. Theo was at the stove hugging Serine as Edward looked on. David had yet to come downstairs.

“When did you get in?” Serine asked Theo.

“This morning.” Theo turned back to the range and flipped the pancakes on the griddle. Then, he walked to the sink and began whipping eggs in a bowl. Theo’s slow lope and careful ministrations reminded Anna of her father. Unlike Serine, the youngest, Theo had always been Anna’s unofficial baby, the truly naive one, who gave generously and from his heart without regard. Anna often thought Theo trusted others too much for his own good.

Anna entered the kitchen and walked to him. “Since when did you start making breakfast?”

“Since I realized that women weren’t put on this earth to simply cook and clean.” Theo ceased stirring the eggs, killed the flame under the pancakes, and embraced her.

“Sorry I’m late,” he whispered.

“I’m so glad you’re home,” she whispered back.

Theo served breakfast to Edward, Serine, Linda, and Brad at the kitchen table then said to Anna, “Let’s go into the dining room.” Hesitant and ashamed of her need for attention, she followed. Theo sat in Edward’s chair. “The food should keep them busy for half an hour or so.”

“You mean before they miss us.”

Theo smiled.

“Millicent didn’t come with you?” Anna handed Theo a napkin. Reminded of his manners, he laid it upon his thigh.

Theo had dated many women throughout college, yet he had settled on fellow student Millicent Regarde when nearing the end of earning his MBA. Anna had never liked Millicent. As the owner of a mortgage brokerage, she held too much in common with Ed ward. Anna found her to be quite aggressive, and she was quick to summon Daddy whenever the world presented its imperfections.

“She’s merging the brokerage with her father’s real estate firm,” Theo said. “They’re moving into his building this week.” Millicent’s parents, Thelonius and Henrietta Regarde, carried much distinction in black society of Chicago. Theo said little of Millicent when he called each Friday evening.

“I can’t believe you’ve been married for five years already. How are things with you and Millicent?”

“She’s busy finding new clients. With the recession, let’s just say things have been better for the mortgage business.” Theo wiped his mouth then let his napkin drop onto the plate. His love for Millicent reminded Anna too much of her loyalty and commitment to Edward.

“I mean
between
you and her.” Anna clarified her question.

“That’s another matter.” Theo’s lips appeared on the edge of trembling, or perhaps Anna misread them in her growing anxiety. She reached out and touched his hand. Theo patted hers, pulled away and then said, “So what’s this I hear about David confronting you last night about moving to France?”

“It was Serine who raised the issue. Funny thing is I can’t imagine how she learned I was moving.”

“That would be Aunt Elise. Serine called her when Dad told us about the divorce and you stopped returning our messages.”

“It was hard telling all of you that I wanted to leave your father, end the marriage. I needed room to think.”

“I understood. So did Linda and Brad.” Theo sipped his coffee. “Serine, on the other hand ... well ... she feels abandoned.”

“I wasn’t leaving her. Why didn’t you mention this to me sooner? Although, you did warn me. I shouldn’t have pulled away,” Anna confessed.

“You needed to take care of yourself.” Theo traced the rim of his plate with his forefinger. Unlike his siblings, he refused to accept Anna’s silence. When the other three stopped phoning and leaving messages, he persisted in calling.

She sank back into her chair. “Are you angry that I’m moving to France?”

“No. I hope you’re still going.” Theo glanced back at the doorway leading to the kitchen where Edward was still sitting at the kitchen table with Linda, Brad, and Serine.

“I can’t think about that now. Your father needs me.”

“This is what I don’t understand about you.” Theo hit his finger upon the table. Confusion flooded Anna. “It was obvious to me and Linda that you needed to live your life. Dad couldn’t support you doing that. In fact, I’m surprised you stayed this long.”

“And why is that?”

“The man cheated on you. He was a constant philanderer. He was never around.”

“He provided all of us a good life,” Anna said.

“And you were unhappy.”

“That was my choice.”

“It affected us.” Theo knitted his brows. “Do you know what it’s like to see your mother never happy, always working, never smiling? It doesn’t matter that the house you live in is large and beautiful and filled with toys you never play with, or that your father wears two-thousand-dollar suits and is respected, envied, or both for the work he does.” Theo drew closer. “It doesn’t even matter that your mother acts like everything is fine, and never complains about her husband. You know.” Again Theo touched his forefinger to the table.

Anna’s eyes burned with a truth too large to encompass and with a boldness she could not ignore.

David entered the dining room. “Hey, bro!” Theo stood, David reached out, and the two embraced. “When’d you get in?”

“Early this morning. Around seven,” Theo said. “I rented a car at the airport and called Linda and Brad to let me in.”

“I didn’t hear the phone ring,” Anna said.

“I called their cell.” Theo glanced back. Anna reminisced upon the days when there were no cell phones and she could decipher her children’s lives by the calls they made and received.

Theo pointed to David’s bag. “Leaving so soon?”

“Heather’s dad just died.” David looked past Theo’s shoulder to Anna. His body held restrained sadness. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Take your time.” Anna went to him. “Tell Heather I’m praying for her. If she needs anything—”

“I’ll do that.” David lifted his bag. Anna stretched up and kissed his forehead. The memory of accusations hurled the prior evening was a far-gone blur. David left.

Anna and Theo were back at the table when Serine entered the dining room. “So why are you two hiding in here,” she said. Serine sat. “We’re not hiding.” Theo smiled.

Serine threw Anna a cautious smile. “Everyone knows that you’re Mom’s favorite.”

“I doubt that.” Theo tapped his plate. “If memory serves me correctly, I received my share of banishments to my room and was grounded just as much as anyone. Now
you
on the other hand—”

“You have no idea what it was like for me here with Mom when you and Linda were away at college.”

“I know enough.” Theo smirked. “You got away with pretty much all you wanted.”

“I beg to differ. But, being that you’re so much
in-the-know,
has Mom given you the heads-up on her plans to move to Paris?”

“We discussed this last evening,” Anna intervened. “And your father informed me he had spoken to you.”

“He informed me that I was rude to you.” Serine arched her back against the web of haughtiness spun by her words. “I’m speaking nicely this morning.”

“What Mom does with her life is her business,” Theo said. “If she wants to move to France, then—”

“So you knew about this?”

“Maybe if you bothered to call her, you would, too,” Theo shot back.

“I wasn’t the one who stopped calling.” Serine’s shoulders slumped. “What’s your point, Serine?”

“It’s not just my point. David agrees, too.”

“Well right now he’s got other things on his mind,” Theo said, “Heather’s father just died. He’s on his way up to Santa Rosa for the funeral.”

“Heather,” Serine murmured then slumped down onto the chair. “She can be a pain in the neck. Then again, what can you expect from a white woman?”

“What’s that?” Anna snapped.

Theo rolled his eyes. “Here we go again.”

When David announced his engagement eight years ago, it had taken the family a moment to adjust to the notion of his wife being white. Anna, Theo, and Linda had come to embrace Heather during the first year of her and David’s marriage. While Edward maintained a cordial and cool exterior, Anna suspected he approved of Heather’s devotion. He had visited David and Heather many times in the last two years. Edward always returned singing Heather’s praises. That troubled Anna. Like Edward, David could be headlong and stubborn. Anna worried that Heather was seeking to please David at the expense of her own needs.

“Heather is so unhappy,” Serine retorted. “With her father dead, I doubt she’ll be with David much longer.”

“And how do you know this?” Anna asked.

“He told me,” Serine said.

“When?”

Theo shifted to Anna. “They’ve been having problems for a while,” he said.

“What kind of problems?”

“Well you know, David’s busy at the firm. He comes home late,” Theo explained. “Heather’s not in the greatest of moods after being home with the children all day.”

“I can certainly relate to that.” Anna chuckled.

Theo continued. “Then with Heather’s father getting sick and her traveling back and forth...”