Tara Langer's House October 29, 2018
Tara was rushing around her home trying to get everything that she would need packed for her and Lucy's trip to Shirley's for Nell's funeral. Steve had called her earlier that day to inform her of the funeral arrangements and to let her know he and Uncle Hugh would be heading up there with her as soon as they were able to find Luke.
He had also told her about Luke leaving rehab and breaking into his apartment the night before. That information had upset her greatly, but Steve had assured Tara that Luke hadn't been high at the time of the break-in and that the younger man had promised his brother that the money wasn't for drugs, but they were all still worried for him.
Luke had been doing so well this time around in rehab, she had even talked to him just days ago about receiving his 90-day chip, and Tara was praying that there was a good explanation for him leaving and that he hadn't relapsed. She didn't think she could handle any more of the drug use and rehab centers.
She was also pretty uncomfortable about having to see Shirley again. She hadn't come to visit her in the hospital when Lucy was born so they hadn't seen each other since Arthur's funeral, and the two hadn't always been on the best of terms. It had really pissed Shirley off when Tara went against her orders and took the book money Steve had offered them.
Steve and Leah's apartment 2013
Tara was sitting next to Nell on the couch in Steve's tiny apartment. The older man had called a family meeting to discuss the book he had written about the family's time inside Hill House.
"It wasn't exactly easy to hear but, Shirley hit on some things that have been nagging at me." He started off once everyone was comfortable, "And, well, you were right. I was trying to take ownership of something that doesn't belong just to me."
"So you're pulling the book?" Shirley questioned expectantly.
Steve sighed and shook his head, "I'm offering to share the book." He informed them all calmly, "I'll give each of you eight percent of any royalties, and if it sells as well as my publisher thinks it will..."
"Jesus, Steve." Shirley interrupted him, angry.
"I'm trying to do the right thing." He exclaimed, exasperated.
"The right thing?" Shirley scoffed, "What is the guilt of it all getting in the way of your new lifestyle?"
"What?" Steve questioned.
"You and Leigh feeling awkward while you pack up for California?" Tara and Nellie looked each other uncomfortably. Tara thought that Shirley was making a much bigger deal about the book than what was needed
"Yeah, yeah whatever. This could be a significant amount of..."
"Whatever?" Shirley ground out, "It's all about the money for you. We're well aware."
Steve took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Of course it's about the money."
"I mean, you guys have read it, right?" Shirley questioned the room.
"I haven't." Theo spoke up catching everyone's attention, "Why bother? I've heard the various versions my whole life. I've heard Dad's tabloid horror show; I've heard Luke, Tara and Nellie's ghost stories." She looked over at the younger girls, "No offense girls."
"Okay." Nell groundout.
Tara shrugged, "None taken."
"I've heard you and Steven do your best James Randi impression where you say how crazy everybody was." She sighed, "Just, maybe it's a middle child thing, but I just would rather focus on living my actual life right now." She leaned back on the couch and joked, "Maybe I'll just wait for the paperback."
After a moment of silence, Shirley spoke up again, "We're not taking your money. None of us, its blood money, Steve, and you're welcome to every red cent." She looked around the room and questioned, "Right?"
"Yup." Nick agreed with his wife, pushing the manuscript away, "Blood money."
"Right." Nell nodded as well.
Tara scoffed, "Speak for yourselves." Her words caused everyone to stare at her in shock. Tara was normally the peacekeeper; she was quiet and kept to herself. She didn't like conflict.
"What?" Shirley asked open-mouthed.
The younger woman sighed, "Look, Shirl, you have an actual career, okay? You don't need the money. I'm a struggling artist working two minimum wage jobs and paying round the clock for rehabs while also having my money stolen from my boyfriend." She stood up from the couch and faced the three Crain women, "So you may not need the money, but some of us do, and I'll be damned if you keep me from collecting what's rightfully mine." And with that, she turned on her heels and walked out of the apartment.
Tara Langer's House October 29, 2018
Tara had offered to help Steve and Uncle Hugh look for Luke but Steve had rejected her offer and told her to stay put with Lucy at the house in case Luke decided to come home to her. Steve told her to just get herself and Lucy packed and ready for the trip and they would come by and pick them up before heading to the airport when they got Luke.
Tara sighed in exhaustion as she plopped down on the bed to rest for a minute. She thought about how so much had changed since just last night. Nellie was dead, her best friend, her daughter's godmother was gone, and she would never see her smiling face again. And the father of her baby, the love of her life, was who knows where and had possibly relapsed back into drug use. Tara was extremely worried about how the information of his sister's passing was going to be received by Luke.
He and Nellie were close, they were twins, and Tara worried that the news might push him over the edge and send him back into drug use if he wasn't already there. He was just starting to get better and Tara didn't want all that progress to just disappear.
Chapel, Eleanor Crain's wedding day 2016
"I'm so excited," Nell admitted brightly to the two women present, trying her best not to move too much.
"You're going to look amazing," Shirley promised her baby sister as she focused on getting her makeup just right.
"You already look amazing, and she's not even halfway done." Tara threw in teasingly and the girls laughed happily.
"We're so happy for you, Nellie." Shirley smiled at her baby sister and Tara nodded in agreement as there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Nell called out, turning her head slightly as the door opened.
"Hey." Steve greeted everyone, and while the two young girls smiled and greeted him back, he received nothing but the cold shoulder from Shirley, "Wow. You look amazing." He breathed staring at his baby sister.
Nellie grinned nervously, "Thanks... How's Arthur?"
Steve shrugged nonchalantly, "Oh, him? He's great. I handcuffed him to a radiator downstairs. He's not going anywhere." Tara snorted at the older man's joke.
"Steve." Nellie admonished her brother playfully and shot Tara a half-hearted glare for encouraging him.
"He's as happy as I've ever seen a guy," he reassured her softly with a smile.
"And he should be." Tara spoke up from her spot at the window sill, "Just look at what he's getting."
The three other occupants in the room laughed at the younger girl.
"Well, anyway, I just wanted to say break a leg." Steve spoke again, "And if you make a run for it, I'll keep the car running, okay?"
"Okay." Nellie laughed at her big brother's teasing as Steve exited the room.
"How lucky for us," Shirley said sarcastically after a moment, "a famous author at your wedding." Her words caused the two younger girls to sigh sadly and frown in disapproval.
"You promised." Nellie berated her big sister.
Tara nodded in agreement, "No snide comments today."
Shirley sighed and gave a strained smile, "I know. Not another word, I promise." She suddenly stopped moving and stared out the window behind Tara.
"What is it?"
"What's wrong?" the two younger girls asked curiously.
"Nothing." Shirley assured, shaking herself out of her daze, "I should be right back and we'll finish up." She stood to her feet and made her way to the door, "Tara, come with me."
Tara and Nellie gave each other a perplexed look and Tara shrugged as she made her way out the door.
The two women made their way down the hall and out of the building with Tara trailing behind Shirley, and that was when Tara caught sight of what had Shirley so upset. He looked rough and scraggly and his shirt was wrinkled and untucked, but Tara still couldn't help but think of how handsome he looked. He always looked handsome in her eyes.
Tara froze on the porch steps as Shirley stomped her way over to her baby brother.
"Hey." Luke smiled at the sight of his big sister, and Tara felt her heart flutter in her chest at the sound of his voice, "Hey, I didn't know if this was..."
"The hell, Luke?" Shirley cut him off, pushing him away from the window's sight so Nellie wouldn't see him.
"What?" He asked, confused at his sister's reaction. He hadn't caught sight of Tara yet and she was hesitant to speak up. She hadn't seen him in a while; she didn't know what to say.
"Taxi, hold up!" Shirley called out as she continued to shove Luke away, towards the cab.
"What? Hey, I'm fine." The young man interrupted, shrugging her off as he smiled, "I'm fine. I just, I just wanted to make sure I got to tell her that I was happy..."
Tara started making her way down the steps, wanting to see her boyfriend after so long. Maybe she would actually get to dance with him at the wedding. She wouldn't have to be alone for one night.
"Look at me," Shirley demanded and Tara froze, hoping that what she was thinking wasn't true.
"What?"
"Look at me." She demanded once more and Luke sighed as he finally made eye contact with his big sister, "You're high." Shirley breathed, disappointed.
Tara's heart broke at those words. She knew it was too good to be true.
"No." Luke shook his head and gave an uncomfortable laugh, "No, I'm not."
"So you got the day pass?" Shirley questioned, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah, they're very supportive." He nodded along, seeing an opening and taking it.
"Luke, Tara and I paid for rehab." Shirley cried in aggravation, "Guess who they called when you ran away last week? Last week!"
"Uh, Shirl," He said quietly, nervous, "she's expecting me to be here. I need to see them. I have to see them."
Tara's heart broke at that. He wanted to see her and she wanted more than anything to see him too, but not like that. Not high.
"No, you don't. They're not expecting you, nobody is." Shirley spoke harshly, "Today's about Nell."
"Yeah." Luke agreed sadly, nodding.
"Do you get that?" Shirley questioned, "This is her day. You're not smearing your shit all over her day, Luke."
"I'm level," Luke tried to assure her, "I just, I just really want to be here for her, for both of them. I haven't see Tara in so long." He confessed softly.
Shirley laughed sarcastically, "You should've thought that before you put the needle in your arm." She began digging through her purse, "What's the cab? Twenty? Thirty? Here's a hundred.
You can shoot up the rest, I don't care."
She offered the money to him, "This is the last I ever give you. No more loans, no more treatment centers, nothing. The store is closed. I'm done."
Tara stood there unable to move or speak. She was hoping that he would turn away from the money and come inside. That maybe, for just one day, she could have her Luke back and they could be a normal happy couple, but she could tell by the look in his eye as he stared at the offered money that she wouldn't get to dance with the love of her life today.
She watched him grab the money and began heading back to the cab. He got inside and as the cab was driving away, Luke looked up and caught sight of Tara. His mouth opened in shock for a second but he quickly turned away in shame.
Shirley walked over to the younger girl and seeing the tear stains on her cheeks she opened her mouth to speak, to try and comfort the girl that was like another sister to her, but Tara ignored her and turned on her heel to head inside.
Tara Langer's House October 29, 2018
It was getting late, Steve and Uncle Hugh had yet to find Luke, and they would have to leave soon for the funeral. Tara was beginning to worry about him. The longer it took to locate him the more likely it was to find him high.
It wasn't right, Luke had missed Nellie's wedding; he couldn't miss her funeral too. But the way things were looking that was exactly what was going to happen.
Tara was currently sitting on the couch with her phone lying beside her, waiting for someone to call and give her an update. She was trying to keep calm by watching Lucy lay on her play mat with some toys when her phone began to ring. She reached over and answered it, never taking her eyes away from her daughter, "Hello?"
There was a lot of static at first, and then a voice came through, "Ta-Tara?"
She sat up quickly, shocked, "Luke?"