Chapter 12 - What Greg Left Behind
The silence inside Willow Ridge felt strange.
Carolyn walked from room to room.
The house smelled dusty.
Several walls were marked where furniture had been moved.
The refrigerator contained spoiled milk, mustard, and half a pizza.
Greg had taken the television from the family room.
Carolyn had bought it.
He had also taken the microwave.
She laughed when she discovered that.
After everything else, the missing microwave felt absurd.
Diane stood beside her.
“Want mine?”
“No.”
Carolyn smiled.
“I want the pleasure of buying my own microwave.”
The locksmith changed every exterior lock.
Passwords changed.
The security system reset.
Carolyn hired an inventory service to document missing property.
She did not rely on memory.
Robert’s tools were eventually returned from the storage unit.
So were the lamps.
Some silverware was missing.
Two paintings had been sold.
The antique woodworking plane was recovered from a collector after police explained the circumstances.
Carolyn reimbursed him voluntarily even though Helen said she might not need to.
“He bought it in good faith.”
“You don’t have to absorb Greg’s consequences,” Helen warned.
“I’m not.”
Carolyn held Robert’s old tool.
“I’m choosing which consequences I want living in my house.”
Helen smiled.
“That sounded like Robert.”
“Don’t tell me that.”
“Why?”
“I’m still mad at him.”
“Fair.”
Greg was charged several weeks later with multiple counts relating to fraudulent loan applications, identity misuse, forged documents, and stolen property.
The charges were accusations, not convictions.
Helen reminded Carolyn repeatedly.
Carolyn learned patience.
Sarah was not charged for the forged quitclaim deed or guardianship draft.
Her role in the Horizon loan remained under review, but investigators ultimately concluded there was insufficient evidence that she understood the forged elements of the application.
That did not make her innocent of everything.
She knew it.
Carolyn knew it.
Their relationship existed in that uncomfortable middle ground.
One Saturday, Lily visited Willow Ridge.
Sarah dropped her off at the curb and did not come inside.
Carolyn noticed.
“Your mom staying?”
Lily shook her head.
“She said she isn’t invited.”
“She isn’t today.”
Lily nodded as though that made sense.
They entered.
Lily looked around.
“Where’s Dad?”
She had stopped calling Greg “Dad” sometimes.
Then corrected herself.
“I mean… where’s Greg staying?”
“I don’t know.”
“Mom says with a friend.”
“Probably.”
Lily walked toward the dining room.
She stopped beside the chair where she had been sitting that night.
Carolyn watched.
Lily whispered, “Can we eat somewhere else?”
“Yes.”
They made sandwiches and ate on the back porch.
Halfway through lunch, Lily asked, “Are you going to forgive Mom?”
Carolyn swallowed.
“That’s a big question.”
“She cries a lot.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She says she deserves it.”
Carolyn put down her sandwich.
“Your mother is responsible for her choices.”
Lily looked worried.
“But?”
“But she is also responsible for what she does next.”
“Do you love her?”
“Yes.”
“Then why can’t she come home?”
Carolyn looked toward the house.
Because love is not rent, she thought.
Instead:
“Because loving someone doesn’t automatically make it healthy to live together.”
Lily considered.
“Like me and Chloe.”
“Who’s Chloe?”
“She was my best friend, but she kept telling everyone my secrets, so now we’re not friends.”
Carolyn almost laughed.
“Yes. Something like that.”
“But Mom is your kid.”
“Adult children can hurt their parents too.”
Lily looked at her hands.
“I hurt you.”
“Yes.”
“You still let me visit.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you apologized.”
“Mom apologized.”
“And because I’ve seen you behaving differently.”
Lily thought.
“Mom is behaving differently.”
“Maybe.”
“She got a job with more hours.”
“I know.”
“She sold her designer bags.”
Carolyn raised an eyebrow.
“All of them?”
“Almost.”
That was significant.
Sarah had once treated those bags like museum objects.
Lily continued.
“She says we have to pay what we owe.”
“What do you owe?”
Lily shrugged.
“Everything.”
Carolyn felt a pang.
“That is an adult problem. Not yours.”
Lily looked relieved.
Then she asked, “Can I help with the garden?”
Carolyn smiled.
“Yes.”
They spent two hours pulling weeds.
Lily complained continuously.
Carolyn considered that reassuring.
At four, Sarah arrived.
She waited beside her car.
Lily hugged Carolyn.
This time there was no apology.
That mattered too.
If every visit required Lily to relive her worst mistake, forgiveness would become punishment.
Carolyn walked her to the driveway.
Sarah stood awkwardly.
“Hi.”
“Hello.”
“How was she?”
“Good.”
Sarah nodded.
“Thank you.”
Carolyn started toward the house.
“Mom?”
She turned.
Sarah looked at Willow Ridge.
“I miss it.”
Carolyn felt herself harden.
Sarah immediately shook her head.
“Not because I want it.”
She struggled for words.
“I miss who I thought we were in there.”
Carolyn looked through the front windows.
“So do I.”
Sarah wiped her eyes.
“I started therapy.”
Carolyn said nothing.
“I’m not telling you so you’ll forgive me.”
“Good.”
“I’m telling you because I should’ve done it years ago.”
Carolyn nodded.
“That sounds better.”
Sarah almost smiled.
Then she drove away.
That evening, Carolyn entered Robert’s study.
She had been avoiding one drawer.
The bottom one.
Inside was a small sealed envelope she had never noticed.
Her name was not on it.
Instead:
HELEN — ONLY IF CAROLYN DECIDES TO CUT SARAH OFF FOREVER.
Carolyn stared.
May you like
Robert had left another secret.
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