twenty-eight

I tried Geneva two more times as I drove toward the Avenues. When I reached the top of the hill on Geary, I remembered the shopping bag in my trunk. As much as I disliked dealing with Celia, there was no time like the present. I decided not to call this time. Why give her a chance to make the errand more difficult?

I cut across Golden Gate Park and picked up Sunset. Celia’s house was set back from the wide boulevard on a street that never seemed to be busy with traffic. I pulled up in front and climbed the stairs. Celia hadn’t worked in many years. After Michael’s father died, she was fortunate in that she could still afford to live in her home. The front lawn was perfect, a postage stamp of lush, brilliant green bordered with hydrangeas. No leaf would dare be out of place in Celia’s garden. I lugged the shopping bag up the stairs, forcing myself not to think about the remnants of Michael’s life that I’d packed away. After all, the very least she could do would be to open the door and say thank you.

When I reached the top of the stairway, I rang the bell and waited. I waited a few minutes more and then rang the doorbell again. She was home, I was sure of it. She simply refused to have anything to do with me. That old familiar ache rose in my chest. The orphan with her nose pressed against the window looking in on a life she couldn’t hope to have. Angry at my automatic reaction, I rang the bell a third time. Finally, I gave up. Okay, Celia, you win. I placed the bag at the front door and returned down the steps.

As I was opening my car door, someone called my name. I turned back. It was Maggie, Michael’s sister.

“Julia. Wait.” She rushed down the stairs, out of breath when she reached me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear the bell. I was upstairs.” She gave me a warm hug.

“Hi Maggie.” I smiled. “It’s great to see you.” I’d always liked Michael’s younger sister. I’d never known their father, but they both must have taken after him. There certainly was no spiritual resemblance between them and their mother. “How are you?” I asked.

“I’m fine. I was just visiting at Mom’s.” Her smile faded. “Julia, I’m sorry she’s treating you this way. She’s home. She just won’t answer the door.”

“Maggie, I gave up a year ago, wondering what she held against me.”

“It’s not just you, I’m afraid. She won’t talk to anybody in the family. Doesn’t see her old friends. She rattles around that big old house day and night. She’s made a shrine of my brother’s room. I think she spends most of her time there.” Maggie shrugged. “I’m really worried about her, but I just don’t know what to do. That’s why I try to stop by whenever I can.”

“I wish I could help, but I’m likely the last person she wants to see. You don’t have to apologize for her.”

“I know that. I just don’t think you need to be treated like that. We all hurt. It doesn’t help to be cruel to you. Michael really loved you. I just hope you always remember that. Don’t let my mother’s behavior color your feelings about him and what you had together.”

Tears sprang to my eyes. I hadn’t expected this greeting and hadn’t thought it would strike such a chord. “Thanks, Maggie. I do appreciate that.” Her eyes were Michael’s eyes, the same green flecks in the brown that gave them a hazel tinge.

“You can call me anytime.”

I glanced up at the front door. Maggie had left it wide open. I spotted Harry, Michael’s dog. When Michael and I had first started seeing each other, we went bicycling in the park whenever we could. One day, I spotted something moving under a bush and halted. We investigated and found a beautiful white poodle, half starved, smelling very bad and suffering from infections. He’d obviously been abandoned and someone had beaten him severely. Michael left me to watch over him and hurried back to retrieve his car. We loaded the bikes on the back and I held Harry on my lap all the way to the emergency vet. Michael paid for all his treatments and then adopted him. His budget as a student was tight, but he didn’t hesitate to help a wounded creature. I think that was when I fell in love with him.

“Harry’s with you?”

Maggie followed my gaze. “Harry! What are you doing?” Harry had knocked over the shopping bag and was sniffing it. When he heard his name called, he raised his head, one of Michael’s gloves in his mouth. He whimpered and looked at us.

“Oh, God.” Maggie said. “He knows that’s Michael’s glove. Poor guy. Come here, Harry,” she called. Harry dropped the glove and bounded down the stairs. He came straight at me and leaped toward my face. “He remembers you.” Maggie said.

“Of course he does.” I bent down and hugged him as Harry left slippery kisses on my face. I looked up at Maggie. “I’m so glad you’ve kept him.”

“I’d never let him go. I just love Harry to death. It’s like having a part of my brother to hold on to.”

Seeing Harry had brought a rush of memories. I had to get out of there before I turned into a blubbering idiot. I hugged Maggie and thanked her. As I started the engine, she leaned in the window. “Just remember, Julia—it’s not you. It’s nothing you’ve done.”

I nodded, blinking back more tears, and drove away into the park. When I reached the Botanical Gardens, I pulled over and wiped my eyes in an effort to clear my head. Seeing Harry had stirred a memory. I tried to retrieve it but it eluded me, just out of reach. Whatever it was, it would come back. I checked my watch. A little after two o’clock. Matt wasn’t due to arrive for his reading until five. I had some free time and tried to figure out the best use of it. I did need to reach Geneva and bring her up to date on the little bit I’d learned. And I wanted to find out if she was aware of Brooke’s arrest. I called the Leary house. Again, no answer. I turned the car around and headed for 35th Avenue.