Kevin finally pulled in front of the lobby of the rose colored two-story hotel and breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a long drive, and he was ready to check into his room and crash for the night. He had met with the movers at the storage unit and helped them unload his belongings alongside the other stuff from his first move. There was so much extra stuff, Kevin didn’t know if it was all going to fit, but with a careful eye and some elbow grease, he was able to get it all in. It had only been several hours since he had left Stephanie, and he already missed her and the beautiful scenery of Mendocino. He took comfort in the fact he would see her again soon. But for now, he needed to focus on the responsibilities at hand and help his aunt with Uncle Thad’s practice as she transitioned into the life of a widow. Kevin sucked in a deep breath as he gathered his suitcase from the car and made his way into the hotel.
The next day, Kevin made the dreaded drive to his aunt’s house. He could only imagine what she was going through and knew he needed to be there for her. He pulled into the wide driveway and looked up at the large Colonial estate. They had never had children, and he had always wondered why they needed such a large house for just the two of them. One time his Aunt Deloris had explained to him that she loved to cook and bake, and because the house had a kitchen to die for, she begged Uncle Thad to buy it so she could call it home. When he had second thoughts about spending so much money on a home that could comfortably house a family with six kids, his aunt had promised his uncle she would cook him his favorite pot roast every weekend if he purchased the home. In less than ninety days, they were already moved into their new home, and true to her word, his aunt faithfully cooked his uncle’s favorite pot roast dish every weekend.
Visitors would often be greeted by a welcoming committee of family pets. She had told his uncle that she needed a companion to keep her company while he spent all his long hours at the office. And that’s when he first bought her Oscar, a beautiful Golden Retriever. But what had started out as a companionship for his Aunt Deloris had quickly fueled into an obsession. One Golden Retriever quickly turned into two Golden Retrievers, one Pekingese, and two Pomeranians as well as two Persian cats. He was amazed that the house never had an odor, but smelled fresh and clean. His uncle had told him it was because his Aunt Deloris was meticulous when it came to the housekeeping. Even though she was a stay at home wife, she wasn’t afraid to humble herself and work alongside the maids to keep the house immaculate. In her mind, it gave her something to do during the day.
But when it came to having children, misfortune came knocking at their door. His Aunt Deloris had a miscarriage after they were first married and because of the complications from it, they had done an emergency hysterectomy. Resigned to the fact she would never conceive a baby, she treated her animals as if they were her children. At one time, she had spoken about adopting a child, but she was afraid that with Uncle Thad being gone all the time, the child would grow up without a father figure, which was something she didn’t want for any child. His Aunt Deloris had been an only child to a single mother and knew how lonely that life could be. She refused to make someone else live it.
Kevin smiled at the grand home. It featured white siding with dark shutters, two stories, and even a guest house that dwarfed some of the cottages in Mendocino. It reminded him of the Georgian estates he had seen while attending a medical conference in Atlanta. He had spent plenty of fond memories at the house, and there had even been an opportunity to live in the mansion. His Aunt Deloris had invited him and Crystal to stay with them after their parents had died, but he knew that his Aunt Deloris and uncle treasured their privacy. Instead of accepting his aunt’s generous offer, he decided to stay in the simple house his parents had raised them in. Under the circumstances, he felt it was the best decision for his sister, and he had been right. Crystal had turned into a remarkable woman and had found an amazing man to settle down with.
Kevin firmly pressed the doorbell, releasing a harmonious blend of melodic chimes. A minute later, the tall front door swept open, and there stood his Aunt Deloris. The always perfectly put together woman had on sweats and a T-shirt, and her hair was thrown up on top of her head. There may have once been makeup on her face, but now all that was left was streaks of black down her reddened cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot and red, and he knew instantly that she hadn’t slept or done much of anything else. Beside her was the Pekingese Bitsy, her forever faithful companion. He gathered her into his arms and held her as she sobbed. His heart ached for his aunt, and her pain had him tearing up as well. They stood for what seemed like hours before she leaned back and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you for coming honey.”
“You know I would Aunt Deloris.”
“Ha. You haven’t called me that since you were a little squirt. I miss those days.” He shut the door softly and turned to follow her into the spacious living room. There were boxes everywhere, and he saw there were pictures and cards and stuff strung from one side of the room to the other. Her precious animals were also gathered around the room as if to show their support for her time of need. They all knew she was upset and were there to comfort her. Oscar, who was the oldest walked up to him and nuzzled his arm. He was a beautiful Golden Retriever with sunshine colored hair. He petted the dog as he stood there patiently.
“Come on Oscar, go on over there with Sasha and leave him alone. It’s OK.” Kevin watched as Oscar did as he was told and went to go sit next to the other Golden Retriever Sasha. He looked around and saw Nibbles and Chester the Pomeranians by the door. Laying on the back of the couches were the two Persians, Cyrus and Jasmine. Oscar and Sasha laid together in front of the fireplace and Bitsy was at her feet. He smiled at her entourage and knew they were his aunt’s main source of comfort. She cleared a spot off on one of the chairs and told him to sit.
“Honey, do you want anything to drink or to eat? I’m sure I can whip up something real quick if you’re hungry.”
“No, I’m fine Deloris. Thank you though.”
She nodded and then he watched as she took a deep breath. “I want to talk to you about something.”
“Anything Aunt Deloris. You know that.”
She nodded and then went on. “It’s about the practice.”
“I knew you would need help with getting everything settled and figuring out what to do with it.”
“You don’t understand dear. Your uncle left the practice and everything with it to you. You now own the building and all.”
“What? He willed me the real estate too!” Her words struck him like a train colliding with a car stuck on the tracks. Kevin sat back in the chair in amazement. He had automatically thought that his uncle had left all real property to his Aunt Deloris. He would never have imagined both the practice and the building being willed to him. Combined they would easily fetch several million dollars if put on the market. He instantly became worried for his Aunt Deloris. He looked over at her and she smiled.
“Don’t worry about me. With the house, everything he left me and the ridiculous life insurance policy, I’ll be taken care of for life. He also left a large sum of money for your sister. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to get a hold of her. I even went by the house and her mail is stacked up. It looks like she hasn’t been there in weeks. You haven’t seen her or talked to her have you?”
“No Deloris. Unfortunately, I haven’t.” He knew his sister was probably still grieving, and it would take time for her to talk to him again. She was right to blame him. He knew that she needed someone to blame it on.
“I can’t believe he left it to me.”
“Well honey, your Uncle Thad may have been busy all the time, and we may have never had children of our own, but we treated you and your sister like you were our own. He treated you like his own son, and he was so jealous of your father for having you and Sarah. And then when you chose the medical field like he had, it had made your uncle beam and even more proud of you. You don’t know how many times he told me he really wanted you to come work with him at the practice and eventually take over for him when he retired. Even to this day, he kept waiting for you to say yes to the opportunity, but now . . .” His aunt’s voice trailed off for a moment. “Now I guess he’ll never have the satisfaction of seeing his dream come true.” His aunt gazed into his eyes. “But now you can make him proud in heaven. I knew he would leave it to you because he never gave up hope at the idea that someday you would take over the practice.”
“It’s a lot to swallow, Aunt Deloris. I don’t know what to say or do.”
“Well, why don’t we do this? Tonight, I have to make a visit to the funeral home and pick out your uncle’s casket. It’s something I’ve been dreading to do since the mortuary called me yesterday, and I sure could use your support. If you come with me tonight, then tomorrow I can meet you at the office and show you around. After that, you can see how you feel about everything. How does that sound?”
“OK. That sounds reasonable.”
Kevin waited while his Aunt Deloris went and took a shower. As he waited for her, he went through the pictures and albums that were spread all around the room. He laughed at pictures of himself when he was younger. He had long hair and short shorts on with a pair of big huge black sunglasses. His Aunt Deloris was standing behind him wearing a baggy pair of blue jean capris and a knit top. Her hair was long and fluffy. It definitely had to be from the eighties. He laughed at a picture of his uncle and father as they both held up fishing lines with a respectable sized trout dangling from the end. He could tell they were proud of their prize catch as they smiled from ear to ear. The two couldn’t have been any older than eight and ten in the picture.
He glanced at a picture of his parents on their wedding day, and his heart softened. They looked young and innocent as they cut the three-layer wedding cake laced with fresh red roses. His mother was beautiful with long reddish blonde hair to her waist and dark green eyes. She had been petite like Crystal, and his father had doted on her every wish and need. His father had dark hair and blue eyes like him, and in the picture, he looked longingly at his mother. That was the type of love and marriage he wanted, one that could weather the tests of time. Could he have that with someone? He had determined long ago that he would. And now his heart finally belonged to one special person and that was Stephanie. She reminded him of his mother with her sweet tendencies and gentle touch. She had a sacrificial spirit and had touched his heart like no other woman. Stephanie had done something for him that nobody else could have ever done. She had lifted him from the fatal quicksand of depression and showed him how to believe in himself again. He owed her everything.
Kevin continued leafing through the album until one picture caught his attention. It was as if a large lightning bolt had struck him. He tried averting his gaze, anything to distract him from the innocent image before him. But his head felt like a lead weight as his eyes remained fixed on a picture of Crystal in the hospital the day Sarah was born. She was holding a precious bundle of pink in her arms as her husband Jeremy stood behind her, smiling down at them. Glancing past the picture, he came to an image that brought tears to his eyes. There was five-year-old Sarah on her bike with him holding it behind her as she pedaled away. That was a memorable day as he had helped Crystal learn how to ride. Sarah had come away from the experience with lots of scrapes and bruises, but the little squirt just hopped back on the bike, determined to learn how to ride. He had laughed at her determination, but was so proud of her when she succeeded that he had taken her out for ice cream that night after dinner.
The sound of his cell phone cut through his travel down memory lane.