Chapter 757: Beaulieu Manor
Friday, March 24th, Night
After dinner, she grabbed her coat and headed out to the Inner Court. Standing in the doorway, she looked across the court to the chapel. Nodding, she leaned against the stone and brick doorframe, took several deep breaths, and felt the unseasonably cold air fill her lungs. Exhaling, she saw the steam of her breath and remembered the past story of people who thought it was a person's soul leaving the body.
The door opened next to her, and Candi saw Ellie step out and let the door close behind her. The two sisters locked eyes as the younger one pulled out her vape and took a deep pull. Ellie held it for a moment and let it out.
"When did you take that up?" Candi asked.
"When I decided cigarettes weren't for me," Ellie said.
"So, you vape," Candi said.
"Not as much as I smoked; I'm trying to quit," Ellie said, "But I'm not giving up my edibles."
Candi chuckled, "So, why vape out here?" she asked.
"You know Brooke," Ellie said.
"That I do," Candi said.
Ellie nodded and took a few more puffs of her vape. "So, how is dad?" she asked.
Candi nodded, "It's as the other doctors say, but I'm no expert, but I did some of the same tests, and yeah, he needs the surgery," she said.
"So, how long are you staying?" Ellie asked.
"About two weeks after his surgery, by then, I hope to have everything set up for him and Brooke," Candi said.
"Like what?" Ellie asked.
"Just some care and therapy, I want to see he's on the mend," Candi said.
"What does that entail?" Ellie asked.
"More than what I want to talk about right now," Candi said, "I want to enjoy the night."
"Yeah, the air is nice and crisp," Ellie said, taking another hit of her vape.
Candi nodded, "So, Keith is back," she said.
"Yeah, our brother is home," Ellie said, her breath a mix of steam and vape smoke.
"I'm not, but are you moving back to Leighton?" Candi asked.
Ellie shrugged, "I'm not sure Brooke will let me," she said.
"Ellie, you're almost thirty years old; you do have some say in your life," Candi said.
"Try telling Brooke that," Ellie said.
"Good point," Candi said.
Ellie sighed, "Anyway, someone needs to be here for dad after you leave," she said.
"Keith?" Candi asked.
"He's going to be busy at the label," Ellie said.
"Are you sure?" Candi asked.
"You know how he was before the deployment," Candi said.
Ellie nodded, "He seemed to take it upon himself," she said.
"That's our brother," Candi said.
Ellie nodded, "I wonder how he's doing?" she asked.
"It's Keith; he's probably fine," Candi said.
"I was talking with Sawyer," Ellie said.
"What did she say?" Candi asked.
"That the soldier that was killed over there," Ellie said.
"What about him?" Candi asked.
"Not only did Keith know him, but they're friends, and he was tank's tank commander," Ellie said.
Candi nodded, "Was Keith on the tank?" she asked.
Ellie nodded, "From what I figure he was," she said.
Candi nodded, "That means nothing or everything," she said.
"Keith tends to internalize things," Ellie said.
"Like your mom, again, it means nothing," Candi said, "We won't know until he comes home, and we may never know."
Ellie nodded and took a pull of her vape.
"What are you thinking about?" Candi asked.
"How the world turned upside down," Ellie said.
"It happens, it's not that the world turned upside down, it's how we deal with it," Candi said.
Ellie nodded and fingered her purple choker. "Don't I know it," she said.
Candi nodded, "I know; I was there," she said.
"You had your world turned upside down," Ellie said.
"I know; I was there," Candi said.
"So, we both had our world turned upside down," Ellie said.
"Several times, in fact," Candi said and looked out to a few lone stars.
Ellie watched Candi for a few minutes and vaped. After a moment, she put her vape away, stood next to Candi, and looked out to where Candi was looking.
"What are you thinking?" Ellie asked.
"Life and how things change," Candi said.
"Like what?" Ellie asked.
"Dad, a friend is getting married, and well life," Candi said.
Ellie nodded and looked around. She snorted and rubbed her chin. "Something changed for you," Ellie said.
"What do you mean?" Candi asked.
"There is something about you, I don't know, different, distracted," Ellie said.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Candi said.
"Don't bullshit me, Candi, we've spent too much time together," Ellie said.
Candi nodded, "There is this guy; he's in the wedding party with me," she said.
"What about him? There had to be something about him to get through the famous Candace Scott armor," Ellie said.
"I don't know," Candi said.
"I don't know? How don't you know?" Ellie asked.
"I don't know," Candi said, sighed, and shook her head, "That's what scares me."
Ellie nodded and kept looking at the stars. Candi hugged herself and looked off at the stars.