You Can Pick Your Friends, But You Can't Pick Your Family

Modern Day–Travel Agency Satellite Office

          Gemma Conlin and her best friend, Becky Davis, sat in the tiny airless office. Most of the lights were off in a failed attempt to lower the temperature in the room. The air conditioning failed again.

          “So, Pinky, what are we going to do after work?” Becky mimicked a cartoon character in an attempt at levity.

          “It’s too hot to take over the world. How about we just go grab a drink and chill at home?” Gemma half-heartedly smiled, while lethargically tapping on her keyboard. There were no clients today, and their supervisor wasn’t there again. Which was normal for Kevin, this close to lunch. The girls figured it wasn’t their problem what Kevin did, as long as they received their paycheck. It was a relief from his frequent requests for a date. They needed their jobs, and he was incidental.

          Rummaging in her purse, Becky pulled out an envelope. “Dang it. I can’t find my lip gloss. Oh, Gemma, I forgot. This came to the door yesterday. I was leaving to go shopping. You were out with Brad at the restaurant. It looks kind of official.”

          “That’s weird. I wasn’t expecting anything.” With a frown, Gemma accepted the envelope. A bold seal of a lawyer graced the top left of the envelope. Staring at the envelope, Gemma felt her heart dip into her stomach. Letters like this were never good news. She tore it open and read it in stunned silence.

          “Are you being sued? Why would anyone sue you? What would anyone have to sue you about?” Becky moved closer to get a better look while Gemma slit the envelope open and pulled a piece of paper from it. After the second reading of the letter, Gemma’s ashen fact looked up at Becky.

          “No. I’m not being sued.” Gemma turned back to the letter and read it again, as if she were looking for something else within its depths.

          “What’s wrong? Has something happened?” Now, Becky dropped all levity at her friend’s abrupt change of mood.

          “Yes, you could say that. Well, at least my parents aren’t alive for this. My Great Aunt Esme died. This is a letter from the lawyer who’s acting as the executor of her will. No one bothered to tell me she’d died. I need to call Evan. He must have one of these too. Why didn’t anyone tell me she died? I didn’t have the chance to attend her funeral.”

          “I’m sorry. I don’t remember anyone ever speaking about a Great Aunt Esme. Who exactly was she?”

          “My dad’s aunt. My dad always called her the Great Crazy One. He insisted this sweet and kind woman was off her rocker, and before you ask, I never learned why. Now I know I saw some strange happenings in her house. I know for a fact that house wasn’t normal.”

          “Ooh… Is this story time?” Becky pulled her chair close with an intrigued look on her face. “I want to know everything, and no minor detail is too small.”

          “Fine, I warn you, this story is long. It’s also from the perspective of a kid, and no interrupting.” Gemma knew Becky was one of those people that ask questions as they watched a movie.

          “I promise to try my best. Now spill it.”

          “Everything seemed fine in the family until Evan, and I turned ten years old…” Gemma went into describing her last memories of her Great Aunt and the large, rambling mansion she called home. The family legacy, she’d called it. This story differed with the explanation of what she’d seen in the mirror and the fact it now lay broken under the floor of the bedroom she used when she visited.

    “So, your aunt is or was crazy? What did she want to teach you about? Who was in the mirror, did you ever find out? Did you ever tell Evan? You don’t scare easily. I can’t imagine you that scared.”

    “Evan and I don’t know what they were talking about. It was like they were afraid if we knew we’d become as crazy as her. If that makes sense. Now she’s dead, and the executor wants us there on Saturday morning to read her will. No, I never found out who he was, and no, I never told Evan. You know how he is.”

    “Didn’t you contact your aunt after your parents died? Didn’t she come to their funerals?”

           “No, it felt too weird to contact her. It felt like I was approaching a stranger. She didn’t come to their funeral. Maybe the family didn’t tell her like they didn’t tell me about hers? I didn’t know how to communicate with her. Nothing I could think of sounded appropriate. Hi, I missed you growing up. What did you fight about with my parents and are you truly crazy?”

    “Well, we can get to the lawyer’s office without a problem. Look, I’ll grab us lunch from the coffee shop while you call Evan. Say hi to the arsehole for me.” Becky never did like Evan, and they often insulted each other. Gemma thought it was childish, but it entertained them.

    “Sounds good to me. The usual, BLT on a bagel, and the largest tea possible. Three milk and two sugar on ice. It’s too hot for hot tea.”

    “On it. See you soon.”

          Becky decided she’d go with Gemma to listen to the executor’s words about her family’s estate. She knew her brother and his wife, Sara, would be present. But the thought of traveling in a car with Sara’s judgmental attitude and snide comments wasn’t appealing. This way she could make her escape without depending on them for her ride home.

          It took several hours to drive there, so they left Friday afternoon and rented a hotel room. They’d leave after the reading of the will and a little shopping to return home. That would give them a chance to relax and prepare for the coming work week.

          “You think we can afford room service? I’ve always wanted to order room service and eat in bed.” Becky bounced on the bed in the hotel room. They’d rented a room with two double beds. Gemma tossed her back into the doorless closet and moved to look out the room’s window at the city below.

          “I guess we can order in dinner. I’m just glad that we made it here is such good time.”

          Gemma looked at her phone and frowned. “It’s a little early. I think I’m going to call Brad. I don’t want him to think I’m ignoring him. Last night was so much fun. Did I tell you about the club he took me to?”

          “Nope, I was asleep before you came home. I guess it was another great date. What you’ve dated for about two months, right? Do you think it’ll get serious? How did he react when you told him about this?”

          “A girl can hope. He’s surprised I mentioned nothing about it until now. But he seemed interested, but he said he couldn’t get the time off work to come with me.” Gemma frowned down at her phone. “This is weird. I’m getting a message that my text can’t go through. I’m going into the bathroom to see if I can call him.”

          “That’s weird. We should have great signal here. Okay, don’t worry about me. I’ll settle in while you talk to him.”

          It didn’t take Gemma more than a minute or two to return. “Oh, my god. I can’t believe him. He’s blocked me with everything. His F******k status says single now. I think he’s ghosting me. Why wouldn’t he tell me? What caused this?”

          “You’re serious? He’s ghosting you. What a jerk.” Both girls huddled over their phones, trying to find proof Gemma was wrong. “Hon, he may have his status marked as single. But look at this. He’s moving on before you’re even gone.” Gemma held up her phone with a picture of Brad with a blonde girl on his lap. “Her name is Gigi. Who names their daughter Gigi in this day and age? Oh, here’s an explanation. I’m reading this word for word from his response to a friend of his questioning him about the photo with the bimbo. She’s dead to me when she chose her side-chick over me. It was the last straw. She has money and lied to me about it. Witch went to accept her inheritance. I’m no long-distance Romeo.”

          “I can’t believe him. What did he think I was doing? He’s the one that said he couldn’t make the trip. Lied? How did I lie about my net worth? Was that why he dated me? Because he didn’t need to pay for me? I bet Gigi doesn’t pay.”

          “Fine. Now we’re getting room service. Then we’ll stay up late watching chick flicks and talking smack.”

    “There has to be a mistake. Why would he have said something to me? I must get this straightened out. Give me your phone. I’ll call him on that.”

    “No, you aren’t calling him. It’s quite clear what he’s done and what he’s telling the world. You will not contact him and look like a sad sack of a woman desperate to keep a man who doesn’t want her. Let me show you exactly what he’s doing and as your friend I won’t let you get suckered into it.”

    “But I thought he cared.”

    “He cared about his comfort and convenience; you mean. You were there as a cheap date to entertain him when he wanted it. How many times did you go out when you invited him? How many times did he make himself available to you? None in the last two months. You went on what? Twelve dates? You paid your way. He told you what to wear and how to act. That’s not right. Now you’re not available for him. He dumps you like a hot potato and doesn’t have the guts to tell you. That sounds immature in my eyes. He’s clearly sending you and everyone the message. He doesn’t care about things unless his needs aren’t being met. Your needs meant nothing to him.”

           “That’s not nice, you never met him.”

    “Of course, I never met him. If I met him, he’s having to share you with someone else. He’d have to make himself available to your schedule, and that would mean he’d not get his way. Come on, Gemma, you’re better than that. He’s saying this for everyone to see. He’s trying to make you look like the selfish person. But anyone with a brain in their head can see him for the immature child that he is. You are better off without that headache.”

    “Fine. But I want chocolate tonight. Do you think I should respond on my page?”

    “Drive him nuts and wish them well?” Becky grinned evilly at Gemma. “No one said, you needed to make things easy for him. Let him explain why you aren’t begging him to come back to you. Just say you had a good time, but it’s over and you’re on to better things.”

    “Remind me never to make an enemy of you.” Gemma looked at Becky, knowing her friend was right. It just wasn’t easy to accept sometimes.