Chapter Twenty-Two
Ashlee
Thursday
Knock, knock.
Knock, knock.
I staggered across the hallway, still feeling pretty much half asleep, wondering who the hell would be knocking on the door so early in the morning. I hadn’t had much sleep, what with my mind still reeling over the emotional rollercoaster that I’d gone through the day before, so I really wasn't in the right frame of mind to be speaking to anyone.
Especially not Matthew. I really hoped that it wasn't him coming around to speak to me.
I still couldn’t figure out his motivation for keeping the truth from me; it didn’t make any damn sense. Why didn’t he fight against the rumors? Why didn’t he defend himself? I guessed I would have to talk to him at some point, to find out for myself.
“Erm, hi?” I swung the door open to find a stranger standing there, someone with building equipment in his hands. “Can I...help you?”
“My name is Wes. I’m the roofing contractor. I’ve come to fix the issues that you’ve been having with your roof.” He smiled at me, as if it should have been obvious what he was doing, which sent confusion flooding right through me. Was this something that I should have been aware of?
“I... I don't think you have the right house,” I told him sadly, wishing he was there for us. The roof was becoming a big problem, and I knew that as soon as winter brought along the bad weather with it, it wouldn’t last very long at all. I didn’t want my mom to have to survive an icy winter, not when she was already struggling so badly. “We didn’t call a contractor.”
“This is 124 First Avenue, right?” he stunned me by asking, showing me the order form that did, in fact, confirm that he was supposed to be there. For a split second, I wondered if this was something Mom had done behind my back, but I instantly shook that thought from my mind. There was no way she would have the money to pay for something as extensive as this.
“I’m sorry,” I shook my head regretfully at him. “This isn’t something that we can afford.”
“Oh, you don't need to worry about that,” he grinned smugly. “The job has already been paid for.”
“By...by whom?” I was stunned by this, completely blown away. Who the hell would randomly pay for such an expensive thing? And why? What could someone be getting from it?
“An anonymous client – that’s all I’m permitted to say, I’m afraid.” He shrugged his shoulders at me, being totally blasé about what he was saying. “So, can I come in? I might as well do the job now that it’s been paid for?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” I stepped to one side, watching him in total confusion. This was all a little too much to handle. “Thank you.”
I wandered into the kitchen where I knew Mom was sitting sipping a cup of hot water and lemon. She was doing slightly better today; she wasn't hanging her head over the toilet all day, at any rate, which I’d decided to take as a good sign. I saw it as a glimmer of hope, a sign that she was going to beat this, despite the evidence that she might not.
“Mom, did you order a contractor?” I asked her, sliding in the seat next to her. “Some guy has just turned up saying that the job was already paid for, and he’s getting to work already. I didn’t know what to say.” A thought suddenly hit me. “Shit, you don't think that he’s a con-artist, do you?”
Mom glanced up from her tablet, where it looked like she was reading the newspaper, sending me a serene smile. She shook her head, indicating that no, she didn’t order the contractor, but that everything would be okay. I wanted to ask her more, to find out what she seemed to know, but she immediately returned to reading, blocking me out.
“Right, okay,” I stood back up, before grabbing myself a drink. “I better get ready for work.” God, work... How the hell was I going to deal with work right about now? I was going to have to apologize for my behavior, and it was going to be very embarrassing. I was also going to have to face Terri again, which I wasn’t looking forward to. “I’ll have my phone on me all day, so if you don't feel well or...or you need help with the roof contractor, just give me a call, all right?”
“Sure, see you later, sweetie.”
I wandered up the stairs, hearing the contractor already setting about his business, and I tried desperately to work out who the hell had that kind of money to afford something like that for someone else. I didn’t know anyone who was rich enough to do that for themselves, never mind us. And why wouldn’t they just leave their name? What was with all the secrecy?
Those thoughts plagued me all the way to work, so much so that I headed to the local newsstand along the way. I just couldn't help but wonder if the clue was in the local newspaper, since that was what Mom was reading when I went into the kitchen to talk to her. It was a long shot, but since I didn’t have anything else to go off of, it seemed like a good choice.
I didn’t even glance at the front page as I picked it up, I simply grabbed it and paid the cashier behind the desk. He shot me a large grin as I handed over the money, and opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but I quickly averted my eyes, making it obvious that I wasn't in the mood to talk. I didn’t like being such a bitch; I just wasn't in a talkative frame of mind.
It wasn't until I stepped outside that I looked at the newspaper, and as soon as I saw the words plastered across it, my heart stopped dead in my chest. My blood ran cold, and my face heated up as a strange sense of shock started to gnaw away at me.
“What the fuck?” I muttered. “Local Doctor Wins Lottery?!” Of course, I’d heard about the lottery win, and I’d noticed the rumors that it was someone in Florence who’d won it, but since no one immediately came forward, it seemed like it was all just a myth to me.
“Matthew?” Yep, there it was. Doctor Turner. I glanced through the rest of the newspaper, where I eventually found his photograph accompanied by an interview. I felt shaken as I flicked my eyes over it, stirred up by the knowledge that everything had just changed in his life and nothing would ever be the same for him again. He was a billionaire now, someone who probably wouldn’t even want to remain in such a small town, so I might never see him again.
At first, I was consumed by an empty, hollow feeling, but this was quickly followed by intense shock. Shit, was I about to lose my job? Would I find myself out on the scrap heap, doing the dreaded job search all over again? I knew that in his interview, Matthew had stated that he wanted to carry on helping people, but was that going to continue once he discovered the benefits of being rich?
Helping people...
Was it him that paid for our roof to be fixed? Was that why mom smiled at me like that? Did she know? I glanced at my watch quickly, wondering if I had enough time to scoot back home before getting into work to talk to her, which I did. My first patient wasn't until half past nine, but I’d decided to go into work early to complete some paperwork... I could do that later.
“Mom?” I gasped as fell through the door. “Mom, have you seen this?”
I found her lying down on the couch, looking a little worse for wear, but as soon as she saw me, she sat bolt upright, plastering on her mask all over again. I had to gulp back a nauseating feeling at that; I didn’t want her to feel like she had to pretend for me, I wanted to know the truth. I didn’t want her to feel like I couldn't handle it – even if it was probably the case.
“Mom, are you okay?” I sat down next to her, rubbing her shoulders. “You don't look so good.”
“Is it the story about Matthew?” She snatched the paper from me, completely ignoring my question. “It’s great news, isn’t it? It must have been him that paid for the roof; he’s such a nice guy.”
She gave me a look, one that seemed to sear right into me, and I felt a little of my façade falling away. It was so difficult to find myself falling for someone who had me so confused, someone who I vowed never to go near again. “He’s mostly treated you well, hasn’t he?”
I half shrugged at that, not wanting to give an answer. I didn’t want to spill my guts right then, not about my petty problems when she felt so poorly.
“You know, I met your dad in a similar way to how you and Matthew met,” she said, sending confusion bursting right through me. I’d never heard any stories about their youth before, and I couldn't help but wonder why she was telling me this now. “We were school friends before we got together. I mean, it wasn't exactly the same. It took us until we were in our mid-twenties before we actually managed to make it work.”
“Why was that?” I couldn't help but ask. Mom and Dad had always seemed perfect for one another. I couldn't imagine them ever having any confusion about one another.
“Well, your dad was a very handsome man, and the girls loved him. I was a plain Jane who didn’t catch his eye in that way until we were much older. He was messing about in his youth, having his fun.”
That statement struck a chord; it was a little like what I’d discovered about Matthew. My heart pounded painfully in my chest as I asked the next question, scared of what I might learn. “Did that not bother you?”
She shook her head and smiled at me. “I just grew up quicker than he did, that’s all. I always knew it would happen. I just had to be patient, that’s all. And it was worth it.”
Her eyes took on a dream-like quality as she slipped back into the past. “I might have lost your father, but everything about our time together was perfect. Plus, he gave me you.” Her gaze drifted back onto me, and she grinned happily.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that things don't always have to seem immediately right for them to make sense to you.” She held my hands lightly in hers, comforting me. “I just want you to be happy, and that’s what you should seek. Not money, not a career, not the perfect guy...just the one that makes you happy.”
Happy... I guessed that despite everything, Matthew had always made me happy. Maybe I needed to take a step out of my mind and just see things differently for a change. Maybe it was time to start taking a more open-minded point of view. After all, the things I’d been doing so far clearly hadn’t been working for me.