Starting Over (9 page)

Alex didn’t
want to burst her bubble, but he couldn’t help it. “I told her
that. It’s too late.”

“It can’t be
too late! You can’t let it be too late!”

When Tonya
started crying, Alex pulled her into his arms. “It’s going to be
okay, sis. Just because she won’t be a part of the family anymore
doesn’t mean you can’t stay in touch with her. You can call and
email, maybe—”

Tonya pushed
against his chest as she swiped her damp cheeks with the back of
her hand. “How could you do this? This is all your fault! You
ignored her for so many years, like she didn’t even matter.”

Alex stepped
back, reeling from her accusations. “That’s not true. Eve always
knew how much I loved her.”

“Is she leaving
you for someone else?” Tonya glared at him. “Someone who’ll love
her the way she deserves?”

Alex adored his
baby sister, but at the moment, he felt like throttling her. Mainly
because her words hit too close to home. She was one of the few
people who didn’t cower in fear every time he walked into the
room.

“Tonya,
please,” Marianne said. “This isn’t the time to blame—”

“You know Dan
is in love with her, Mom. You said it yourself when we visited the
inn last Mother’s Day. You said if Alex didn’t start paying more
attention to his wife, he was going to lose her.” Tonya threw up
her hands. “Now look at the mess he’s made of everything.”

Marianne looked
embarrassed. “Is it because of Dan? Is that why Eve wants a
divorce?”

Alex looked
from his mother to his sister, unable to think past his rage. He
hated himself for letting this happen, and he resented his family
for reminding him another man was in the picture who would give
anything to fill his vacant shoes. “I gotta get the hell out of
here.”

Eve stood at the front
of the church, greeting the mourners, when the sight of
shoulder-length dark ringlets caught her eye. She only knew one
person with hair like that—her sister-in-law
.
Tonya walked
up the aisle with her mother, and as soon as Eve’s eyes locked with
theirs, the tears started again. She’d never expected them to come
all this way. Unless Alex hadn’t told them about the divorce? If
that was the case, he was putting her in the uncomfortable position
of having to do the honors, which was the last thing she
needed.

“How are you,
sweetheart?” Marianne asked, hugging Eve.

Alex’s mother
had been so kind to her since the day they met, welcoming her into
their family without reservation. Saying good-bye to Marianne and
Tonya would be almost as difficult as saying good-bye to her aunt.
“Thank you for coming.”

“I wish you’d
called to tell us about your aunt,” Tonya said, squeezing her hard.
“We would have been here sooner. After the way you stepped up when
Daddy died…”

Since Eve
didn’t have a relationship with her own father, her father-in-law
had gladly stepped into the role, and she’d never had a chance to
tell him how grateful she was for his love and support. Helping to
plan a service to honor his memory seemed like the least she could
do.

The three women
held hands, grieving as much for the closeness between them that
was slipping away as for the dynamic spirit who had already left
them. Eve could tell just by looking into their eyes that they
already knew about the divorce. Their sadness mirrored her own, and
each struggled to find the words to ease their gloom.

“I’m sorry,”
Eve said finally. “I wish there was another way.”

“Maybe there
is,” Tonya said quickly. “Maybe you and Alex could talk after the
service and figure out a way to work things out, find a
compromise—”

“Alex is here?”
Eve asked, glancing around uneasily.

“Of course he
is,” Marianne said quietly. “You didn’t think he would miss this,
did you? He is still your husband.”

Eve didn’t want
Alex to feel obligated to keep up appearances and stand by her side
for the benefit of people he barely knew. “Where is he? I need to
talk to him.”

“He’s outside,
parking the car,” Tonya said.

“Excuse me.”
Eve smiled politely at several mourners as she made her way down
the aisle. She knew her place was at the front of the church,
greeting people who’d come to pay their respects, but she had to
speak to her husband. She spotted him walking across the crowded
parking lot, and she was awestruck, the same way she’d been the
first time she laid eyes on him.

He was wearing
an expensive black suit and silver tie. His black hair was
carefully styled, and his dark sunglasses masked the eyes she knew
would match his tie. She’d bought him that suit and tie combination
on a whim, knowing it would enhance his striking eyes. She wished
she’d left it in the store. The last thing she needed was a
reminder of happier times.

Slipping his
sunglasses off when he got closer, he said, “How are you,
sweetheart?”

Eve hoped a
sharp intake of breath would give her the air she needed to speak,
but she still felt breathless. She’d never met a man she had such a
strong visceral reaction to, as though her whole body went on high
alert when he stepped into her line of vision. She’d foolishly
thought their last good-bye would be their
last
good-bye and
their lawyers would tend to the rest of the details. “I didn’t
expect you to come. I know how busy you are.”

He took her
hand. “There may have been a time when I let you believe I was too
busy for you. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Looking at
their joined hands, her head told her to pull away, but her heart
told her to hold on and never let go. “You spoke to James, didn’t
you? You know about—”

“We don’t have
to talk about that now,” he said, putting his arm around her and
leading her toward the church. “We’re here to honor Sharon’s memory
today.”

“But…” Eve
flattened a hand against her stomach when she saw a familiar figure
getting out of a late-model gray sedan. She hadn’t seen her in
years, but she would know her anywhere. “Oh my God, what is my
mother doing here?”

“There’s only
one way to find out,” Alex said. He slid his arm around her waist,
leading her toward his mother-in-law’s car.

“I don’t think
I can deal with her today,” she whispered, looking around and
wondering if any of the other guests had spotted her. “If she’s
here to make a scene—”

“We won’t let
her,” Alex said firmly.

Jane looked
taken aback when they approached, obviously expecting to have a few
more minutes to collect herself before facing the daughter she’d
abandoned. “Eve, it’s so good to see you.” She held out her hand,
but when Eve just stared at it, she let it fall to her side.

“What are you
doing here, Mother?”

“Your aunt’s
death has been all over the news—”

“You didn’t
answer my question,” Eve said, trying to sound stronger than she
felt. If not for Alex’s arm around her, she feared she may have
collapsed. “What are you doing here?”

“Sharon
was
my sister. I wanted to come… to say good-bye.” She
looked at Eve wistfully. “And I thought you might need me.”

“She doesn’t,”
Alex cut in. “She has me.”

Jane had only
met her son-in-law once—at Eve and Alex’s wedding. Eve had been
reluctant to invite her, but Sharon suggested it may help heal
their damaged relationship. When Jane ridiculed Sharon for trying
to take her place as the mother of the bride, Alex asked Jane to
leave, telling her he wouldn’t allow her to ruin the day for
them.

“I’m glad to
see that.” Jane smiled. “I wouldn’t want her to be alone at a time
like this.”

Alex may be
there in body, but Eve knew his mind must be on their impending
divorce. She wondered if her aunt would have wanted Jane at the
service. The sisters had been close once, and Sharon may have
wanted her only other living relative at a service honoring her
life. “I’m not sure you should be here, Mother.”

“I promise I
won’t cause any trouble,” Jane whispered, her eyes brimming with
tears. “I’ve made so many mistakes, but I’m not the same person I
was, Eve. I swear to you, I’ve changed.”

Eve gave her a
quick once-over, and she had to admit, she
looked
different.
The last time she’d seen Jane, she’d been wearing a tight, black
strapless dress and five-inch heels, as though her goal was to
upstage the bride. Today, she was wearing a long, black, flowing
skirt, ballerina flats, and a black silk, scoop-neck top. Her hair
was a soft gray instead of blond, twisted into a chignon, and she
wasn’t wearing any makeup. Her nails were free of polish, and her
only jewelry were small pearl studs. If she was trying to blend
into the crowd, she was going about it the right way.

Alex gave his
wife a sidelong glance, as though he was willing to follow her
lead. With a heavy sigh, Eve said, “Fine, you can come in. Just
please try to remember that this day is about Aunt Sharon. I want
to give her the farewell she deserves.”

“I want that
too,” Jane said, a small smile tipping her thin lips. “Thank you
for letting me stay.”

Eve nodded
before stepping out of Alex’s embrace. Squaring her shoulders, she
walked into the small church with her head held high. Their place
of worship was filled to overflowing with people whose lives Sharon
had touched, and Eve was determined to hold it together for her
aunt.

***

Alex watched
his wife trying so hard not to cry, and it broke his heart. He
wanted to be there for her, but the one and only time he’d tried to
hold her hand, she quickly withdrew it without looking at him. He’d
come there hoping that, for one day, they could pretend they
weren’t getting divorced, that they were still a family trying to
help each other through a difficult time.

Eve stood to
speak, and Alex held his breath, wondering whether she would be
able to make it through without falling apart. Turning around, he
noticed his mother-in-law sitting in the back pew, her eyes fixed
on her daughter. He still couldn’t understand why Jane had come.
She’d never tried to mend her relationship with her daughter
before. Why was she reaching out? If she expected to claim a piece
of her late sister’s estate, Alex would make sure that didn’t
happen. That money belonged to Sharon’s niece and the charities
Sharon chose to donate to. Anyone else who hoped to see a dime of
it would have to go through him and his lawyers to get it.

“I wanted to
thank you all for coming,” Eve said, her lips trembling as she
looked around the room. “I know how much each and every one of you
meant to my aunt, and she would be so touched that you’ve all come
to honor her this way.” She unfolded a sheet of paper, laid it flat
on the podium, and smoothed it out gently. “I thought of what I
could say about my aunt, but I have no words to express how amazing
she was or how much I loved her. So I decided to share something
very personal with all of you, something I thought would help us
all remember what an exceptional woman she was.” Eve looked up, and
her eyes met her husband’s for a brief moment. “This is the last
letter she wrote to me…”

If she’d asked
for his opinion, Alex would have advised against reading that. He’d
witnessed the state Eve had been in after she watched her aunt’s
video message, and he could only imagine how difficult it would be
for her to read Sharon’s words to a roomful of people.

Eve cleared her
throat and looked down at the paper.

“
My Dearest
Eve,

“
Sometimes
people come into your life and touch it in the most remarkable
ways. They change the way you think and feel about everything, from
yourself to the people around you. You were one of those people for
me, my beautiful niece. You changed me. Our relationship changed
me.”

Eve swiped at a
tear gliding down her cheek as her voice trembled.

“
I started
to see the world through your eyes, the eyes of a child, an
innocent untouched by the harshness of reality. As you grew up and
faced some of your own challenges, you never let them defeat you,
and I so admired your courage and determination.

“
The years
we spent together were some of the happiest of my life because you
filled a void in my life I didn’t even realize had been there. You
honored me by sharing your secrets with me. You reminded me to
laugh, often and with abandon. You encouraged me to keep
dreaming.”

Eve took a deep
breath, and Alex knew making it through the next few minutes would
take everything she had.

“
When you
start to see life through the eyes of a child, you remember that
anything and everything is possible. I stopped seeing my life
through the limiting blinders of a jaded adult and started living
in the totality of possibilities. So you see, sunshine, you really
did change my life in the most remarkable ways. Because of you, I
remembered how to dream, and boy, did I dream big!”

A gentle laugh
moved through the crowd, and Eve looked up, smiling. Her eyes met
Alex’s, and they shared a moment of amusement and affection for a
lady they’d both loved and admired.

“
I grabbed
hold of life with both hands, determined to wring every ounce of
joy out of it that I could. And I did. So please don’t be sad that
I’m gone. Be happy that I lived life on my terms, and you taught me
how to do that.

“
I love you
with my whole heart, for the little girl you were, the woman you
are, and the goddess I know you are destined to become. Follow my
lead… live with passion for as long as you’re here, and when your
time is up, leave with a smile and a heart bursting with
love.”

Eve carefully
folded the paper, made eye contact with the minister, and made her
way down the stairs to her seat in the front pew. Alex put his arm
around Eve, and she leaned her head on his shoulder, obviously too
emotionally drained to resist his offer of comfort. The minister
concluded the service and invited everyone back to the inn for a
reception. According to her wishes, Sharon’s ashes would be
scattered in the lake she loved.