“If she had a choice, she would’ve never left your side,” Mama chimed in. “Trust me, I know.”
Michael thanked my mom and started to walk off until he heard me calling after him.
“She didn’t suffer,” I lied. “It was fast, painless. It was over in seconds. Your mom didn’t suffer.”
His shoulders appeared less heavy as I spoke to him. “Thank you, Maggie. Thank you for that.”
After years of not speaking, I understood the importance of words. How they had the power to hurt individuals, yet they also had the power to heal if used correctly. For the rest of my life I’d try my best to use my words carefully.
They had the power to change lives.
The next day I headed over to Mrs. Boone’s house with tea and turkey sandwiches. She rolled her eyes when she made her way to the door and then invited me inside to eat.
“I saw you on the news yesterday,” Mrs. Boone said. “You could’ve used a bit more makeup. You were on television, not at some pajama party, Maggie.”
I smirked. “Next time.”
“Next time…” Mrs. Boone huffed, shaking her head. “I’d think you were kidding, but you and your boyfriend might be the most dramatic people I’ve ever met, so I wouldn’t put it past you for there to be a next time,” she said, drinking her tea. “And you are awful at picking out tea. This is disgusting.”
I laughed. “Now you know how I’ve felt all these years.”
She looked up from her cup, and her hands began to shak
e. “Your voice isn’t as ugly as I thought it’d be.” She smiled and nodded her head, pleased. A semi-compliment from my favorite frenemy was the best. She picked up her sandwich and took a bite. “I knew you would talk someday. I knew you’d be able to do it.”
The two of us talked for hours about anything and everything that came to mind. We laughed together, which was the best feeling ever. When it began to get late, Mrs. Boone used her walker to get to the front foyer. Whenever her nurse tried to help her, she told her to piss off. Which in Mrs. Boone’s world meant, ‘thank you.’
“Well, you take care, Maggie May, and take a break from tragedy, all right? It’s time for you to go and live the life you deserve with that boy who looks at you all googly-eyed. But don’t be afraid to stop by any time you need a break from your adventures for some tea.” Her eyes met mine, and she gave me the sweetest grin I’d ever seen. “Or you know, just to talk to an old friend.”
“I will do.” I smiled. “I love you, Mrs. Boone.”
She rolled her eyes, wiped away a falling tear, and replied, “Yeah. Whatever.”
Which in Mrs. Boone’s world meant, ‘I love you, too.’
As I crossed the street, I noticed all of my family members sitting on the front lawn, staring up at the house. “What’s going on?” I asked, walking over to them. Cheryl was resting her head on Calvin’s shoulder, and Daddy’s arms were wrapped around Mama. I sat down beside my siblings and stared up.
“We’re saying goodbye,” Daddy said.
“What?” I shook my head. “You’re selling it?”
He nodded. “We all think it’s time. This home has been a place of new beginnings for us, of laughter, of love.”
“But also of a lot of pain,” Mama said, giving me a small smile. “And we think it’s time to start again. To find new places, new sights. It’s time for us all to let go of the past and find our future.”
I didn’t argue with them, because it felt way past due, but still there was a sadness that came with the idea of letting go of the house that saved me from myself.
The house sold in fifty-five days after it was listed on the market. Brooks and his band went off to Los Angeles to start rebuilding their music, and I promised I’d meet him out there once everything was in order with the house.
On the final day of our move, the sky was dark and rain fell over Harper County. Two U-Haul trucks were parked in our driveway, and we’d been loading up the trucks for hours. When the last box was packed, I asked my parents for a few minutes to say goodbye.
My once packed room was emptied of all of the history. My hand fell over my heart as I listened to the raindrops pound against the windowsill. I wasn’t certain how to begin to say goodbye. The ache in my chest was reminding me of all the moments those walls brought me. It was the first place I learned what family meant; it was the first place I fell in love, and no matter where life took me, that yellow bricked house would always be home.
I was on the verge of tears when I heard my favorite five words. “You okay today, Maggie May?”
“You’re supposed to be in LA,” I said, smiling as I turned to see Brooks standing there with his hands behind his back. His hair and clothes were soaking wet from the rain, and he had the biggest smile on his lips. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, you didn’t really think I’d miss saying goodbye to the house that gave me you, did you? Plus”—he stepped into my room, brought his hands from behind his back, and held up the dry-erase board with his words written in permanent marker—“I made a promise to a girl a few years back, and I think it’s time we cashed in on it. I want to show you the world, Maggie May. I want to take you on the biggest adventure of your life.”