Chapter Seven
We followed Mrs. Jenkins down the hall slowly. It felt like we were walking the green mile. I didn't think anything good could come of us visiting Maxine.
Derek was carrying Hope and I was walking close beside him. Tyler was following close behind. No one said anything.
Finally we stopped outside a large wooden door. I noticed it wasn't the same room that Maxine and Gregory shared when I lived here. I wondered why she moved form that room. It was the biggest room in the house. Mrs. Jenkins opened the door for us and we stepped in. I was shocked to see Maxine looking tiny in the huge king sized bed. She had the covers pulled up to her chin and you could barely even tell that there was a body under there. Her face was thin and pasty white. Her skin was sagging down off her chin and she looked like she hadn't stopped frowning in years.
"Maxine," I said, moving closer to her bed. I suddenly felt guilty about not wanting to come and visit her. She only wanted to see her only remaining family before she died. Who was I to deprive her of that?
Her eyes fluttered open, "Skye," she rasped through dry lips, "Come," I approached her bed and motioned for everyone else to follow me. Tyler looked reluctant and Hope looked absolutely terrified. She was clinging to Derek's shirt with all her strength.
I sat down on my Grandmother's bedside and took her small hand. It was cold and limp.
"How are you?" I asked.
"I'm doing okay, thank you for coming," she whispered. She glanced over at Hope and Derek and then to Tyler.
"Maxine, this is my husband, Derek Brooks," I said, "You remember him don't you?" I asked.
She nodded but she looked confused, "Anthony," she whispered.
"Anthony lives near me, we were married for a while but it didn't work out," I explained. I wondered if she missed Anthony and Trevor.
"This is our daughter, Hope," I said. Derek set her down on the bed. She stared at Maxine.
"Honey, this is your Great-Grandmother," I told her.
"Hello Hope," Maxine rasped. Hope inched closer to me.
"Hello," she said back.
"And this is my half brother, Tyler," I told Maxine.
"Nice to meet you," Tyler said.
Maxine only nodded. She didn't look interested in anyone but me. "Can I speak with you alone," she asked me.
I looked at Derek. He just shrugged.
"I'll take Hope to get something to eat," Derek said. He picked her up and left the room, Tyler followed close behind. I didn't think any of them felt comfortable in this room. I couldn't blame them. You could practically smell death at the door. I turned back to Maxine, curious about what she wanted to talk to me about.
"Skye, I'm going to die soon," she said, getting right to the point. No change there, I thought. I remembered when I first came here, she drove me to the doctor and had a blood test done to determine if I was Zack's daughter. She made us both sit at the clinic until they had the results back. She wasn't one to waste time.
"I want you to inherit everything," she said.
I stared at her for a moment. I didn't need all this, I was already very well off in Duncan from a trust fund my father's father had set up for his grandchildren.
"No, Maxine, I couldn't," I said.
"Yes, I have no one else to give it to, you are my only living relative," she insisted.
"I don't need all this," I said glancing around at the large room that was going to be the room she died in. There were too many bad memories here; I didn't want this house.
Maxine just lay there staring off into space for a minute. My heart started to pound. Was she dead?
"I'll give it to Hope," she said suddenly.
I shook my head.
"Yes," she decided, "You will be the owner until she turns eighteen, then the Jamieson fortune will be hers," She nodded more to convince herself than to convince me. She didn't care if I approved of this. She would do what she wanted. That knowledge was what stopped me from arguing with her. I knew that I wouldn't win this battle.
"Send Mrs. Jenkins back in," she said.
I took that as a hint that she wanted me to leave. I let go of her hand and left the room in a daze. I found Mrs. Jenkins standing right outside the door. It was like she was standing there listening. I didn't tell her to go in, she already knew.
I went downstairs and found Hope, Derek and Tyler eating sandwiches in the kitchen. The large kitchen used to be one of my favourite places. I used to like to talk to the maid, Dena and the butler, Arthur once in awhile.
Derek stood up when I came in. I probably looked awful. I was so tired from the long trip here today and seeing Maxine again. She had brought me all the way here to tell me that she was going to die and she wanted my three- year-old daughter to have her millions.
"What happened?" Derek asked. I told him what Maxine had said.
"Hope is going to be a millionaire," Tyler said. He reached over and tickled her. She giggled and almost spit her milk all over the table.
I wasn't excited about her having this house when she was eighteen. This house had brought me nothing but pain; I didn't even want it in the family. I decided then and there to do anything I could to get her to sell it when the time came.
"I think we should all just go to bed," Derek said, "This is going to be a long week,"
We all headed upstairs like zombies. When we got to the top of the stairs Hope surprised me.
"Can I sleep in Tyler's room?" she asked.
I looked at Derek. He looked surprised by her saying that too. I thought she would have been too afraid to sleep anywhere but in between Derek and I in our bed.
"I don't mind," Tyler said.
"I guess it's okay then," I said.
I got Hope ready for bed and tucked her in, in a cot beside Tyler's bed. She fell asleep before I even turned the light off.
I went back to my room. Derek was already in bed waiting for me. I climbed in next to him. He put his arm around me and started kissing me. He tried to come closer and he started kissing me harder. Suddenly Trevor's face flashed before me eyes. This was the exact bed that Trevor and I had first made love. Of course Derek didn't know that.
"Derek," I mumbled into his mouth, "Please, not tonight," I pushed him away from me gently. My heart almost broke when I saw the hurt look on his face.
"I'm sorry," I said moving closer to him, "It's just been a long day,"
"It's okay," he said and he hugged me close. I fell asleep in his arms just like I had fallen asleep in Trevor's so many years ago.
I woke up to a thump and a scream. I bolted upright in bed. I heard someone running down the hall.
"Derek!" I cried. He shot out of bed and threw on a pair of pants and a sweatshirt. I pulled on my jeans and sweater and followed him out into the hall. My heart was pounding and I suddenly wished that I had made Hope sleep in our room.
In the hall Tyler was standing in his pajamas. He looked wide-awake. He was just staring down the hall towards the stairs.
"Hope's gone," he said turning to look at us.
My heart stopped.
"What do you mean?" Derek demanded.
"Someone came in and took her," Tyler said.
"You should have gotten her back!!" I yelled at him in fury. How could Hope be gone? Who would take my daughter?
I ran at Tyler and started to hit him. I screamed and screamed until Derek pulled me away from him. I collapsed on the floor in tears.
"It's not Tyler's fault," Derek said.
"We have to find her Derek!" I yelled. I got up and ran down the stairs. I didn't see anyone around. Every room was dark and empty. I ran back up to stairs. Both Derek and Tyler were following me. Tears were running down my cheeks. I ran to Maxine's room and pushed open the door. The lights were all on. Maxine was lying in bed looking up at someone. She looked frightened. I looked at the woman who was standing over her with a knife.
I would recognize that wild, dark hair anywhere.
"Mama!" I screamed in shock.
We followed Mrs. Jenkins down the hall slowly. It felt like we were walking the green mile. I didn't think anything good could come of us visiting Maxine.
Derek was carrying Hope and I was walking close beside him. Tyler was following close behind. No one said anything.
Finally we stopped outside a large wooden door. I noticed it wasn't the same room that Maxine and Gregory shared when I lived here. I wondered why she moved form that room. It was the biggest room in the house. Mrs. Jenkins opened the door for us and we stepped in. I was shocked to see Maxine looking tiny in the huge king sized bed. She had the covers pulled up to her chin and you could barely even tell that there was a body under there. Her face was thin and pasty white. Her skin was sagging down off her chin and she looked like she hadn't stopped frowning in years.
"Maxine," I said, moving closer to her bed. I suddenly felt guilty about not wanting to come and visit her. She only wanted to see her only remaining family before she died. Who was I to deprive her of that?
Her eyes fluttered open, "Skye," she rasped through dry lips, "Come," I approached her bed and motioned for everyone else to follow me. Tyler looked reluctant and Hope looked absolutely terrified. She was clinging to Derek's shirt with all her strength.
I sat down on my Grandmother's bedside and took her small hand. It was cold and limp.
"How are you?" I asked.
"I'm doing okay, thank you for coming," she whispered. She glanced over at Hope and Derek and then to Tyler.
"Maxine, this is my husband, Derek Brooks," I said, "You remember him don't you?" I asked.
She nodded but she looked confused, "Anthony," she whispered.
"Anthony lives near me, we were married for a while but it didn't work out," I explained. I wondered if she missed Anthony and Trevor.
"This is our daughter, Hope," I said. Derek set her down on the bed. She stared at Maxine.
"Honey, this is your Great-Grandmother," I told her.
"Hello Hope," Maxine rasped. Hope inched closer to me.
"Hello," she said back.
"And this is my half brother, Tyler," I told Maxine.
"Nice to meet you," Tyler said.
Maxine only nodded. She didn't look interested in anyone but me. "Can I speak with you alone," she asked me.
I looked at Derek. He just shrugged.
"I'll take Hope to get something to eat," Derek said. He picked her up and left the room, Tyler followed close behind. I didn't think any of them felt comfortable in this room. I couldn't blame them. You could practically smell death at the door. I turned back to Maxine, curious about what she wanted to talk to me about.
"Skye, I'm going to die soon," she said, getting right to the point. No change there, I thought. I remembered when I first came here, she drove me to the doctor and had a blood test done to determine if I was Zack's daughter. She made us both sit at the clinic until they had the results back. She wasn't one to waste time.
"I want you to inherit everything," she said.
I stared at her for a moment. I didn't need all this, I was already very well off in Duncan from a trust fund my father's father had set up for his grandchildren.
"No, Maxine, I couldn't," I said.
"Yes, I have no one else to give it to, you are my only living relative," she insisted.
"I don't need all this," I said glancing around at the large room that was going to be the room she died in. There were too many bad memories here; I didn't want this house.
Maxine just lay there staring off into space for a minute. My heart started to pound. Was she dead?
"I'll give it to Hope," she said suddenly.
I shook my head.
"Yes," she decided, "You will be the owner until she turns eighteen, then the Jamieson fortune will be hers," She nodded more to convince herself than to convince me. She didn't care if I approved of this. She would do what she wanted. That knowledge was what stopped me from arguing with her. I knew that I wouldn't win this battle.
"Send Mrs. Jenkins back in," she said.
I took that as a hint that she wanted me to leave. I let go of her hand and left the room in a daze. I found Mrs. Jenkins standing right outside the door. It was like she was standing there listening. I didn't tell her to go in, she already knew.
I went downstairs and found Hope, Derek and Tyler eating sandwiches in the kitchen. The large kitchen used to be one of my favourite places. I used to like to talk to the maid, Dena and the butler, Arthur once in awhile.
Derek stood up when I came in. I probably looked awful. I was so tired from the long trip here today and seeing Maxine again. She had brought me all the way here to tell me that she was going to die and she wanted my three- year-old daughter to have her millions.
"What happened?" Derek asked. I told him what Maxine had said.
"Hope is going to be a millionaire," Tyler said. He reached over and tickled her. She giggled and almost spit her milk all over the table.
I wasn't excited about her having this house when she was eighteen. This house had brought me nothing but pain; I didn't even want it in the family. I decided then and there to do anything I could to get her to sell it when the time came.
"I think we should all just go to bed," Derek said, "This is going to be a long week,"
We all headed upstairs like zombies. When we got to the top of the stairs Hope surprised me.
"Can I sleep in Tyler's room?" she asked.
I looked at Derek. He looked surprised by her saying that too. I thought she would have been too afraid to sleep anywhere but in between Derek and I in our bed.
"I don't mind," Tyler said.
"I guess it's okay then," I said.
I got Hope ready for bed and tucked her in, in a cot beside Tyler's bed. She fell asleep before I even turned the light off.
I went back to my room. Derek was already in bed waiting for me. I climbed in next to him. He put his arm around me and started kissing me. He tried to come closer and he started kissing me harder. Suddenly Trevor's face flashed before me eyes. This was the exact bed that Trevor and I had first made love. Of course Derek didn't know that.
"Derek," I mumbled into his mouth, "Please, not tonight," I pushed him away from me gently. My heart almost broke when I saw the hurt look on his face.
"I'm sorry," I said moving closer to him, "It's just been a long day,"
"It's okay," he said and he hugged me close. I fell asleep in his arms just like I had fallen asleep in Trevor's so many years ago.
I woke up to a thump and a scream. I bolted upright in bed. I heard someone running down the hall.
"Derek!" I cried. He shot out of bed and threw on a pair of pants and a sweatshirt. I pulled on my jeans and sweater and followed him out into the hall. My heart was pounding and I suddenly wished that I had made Hope sleep in our room.
In the hall Tyler was standing in his pajamas. He looked wide-awake. He was just staring down the hall towards the stairs.
"Hope's gone," he said turning to look at us.
My heart stopped.
"What do you mean?" Derek demanded.
"Someone came in and took her," Tyler said.
"You should have gotten her back!!" I yelled at him in fury. How could Hope be gone? Who would take my daughter?
I ran at Tyler and started to hit him. I screamed and screamed until Derek pulled me away from him. I collapsed on the floor in tears.
"It's not Tyler's fault," Derek said.
"We have to find her Derek!" I yelled. I got up and ran down the stairs. I didn't see anyone around. Every room was dark and empty. I ran back up to stairs. Both Derek and Tyler were following me. Tears were running down my cheeks. I ran to Maxine's room and pushed open the door. The lights were all on. Maxine was lying in bed looking up at someone. She looked frightened. I looked at the woman who was standing over her with a knife.
I would recognize that wild, dark hair anywhere.
"Mama!" I screamed in shock.