Shadows of the Redwood - By Gillian Summers Page 0,44
back on the road, this time passing through neighborhoods and shopping areas that were familiar to Keelie. Here was where Mom’s chiropractor’s office was, and there her dentist. They passed the organic supermarket, and the nail salon Mom visited every week. Now they were in Hancock Park.
Laurie turned onto Citrus Avenue, then slowed the car down and pulled up in front of the house. A “sold” sign was slapped across the red and white real estate sign.
“We’re here.” Laurie said in a soft voice.
Knot hopped up on the seat back and climbed onto Keelie’s shoulders, then walked down into her lap and sat with his paw on the door handle.
Laurie stared at him. “Look, he’s giving you kitty love.”
“He’s being a pain in the hiney.”
Keelie looked out the car window at the house, which seemed like a vision from another lifetime. She didn’t know if she could go inside. It might hurt to make the memories more real. It was like her heart breaking into shards of glass, again.
She breathed in, trying to still the grief washing over her in waves. “I can do this,” she said, as if the words would be a life preserver in the crush of emotions.
Laurie reached over and placed her hand on Keelie’s shoulder. “That’s why I’m here. We don’t have to go in until you’re ready. Want to get a coffee at the mall?”
Keelie exhaled. “I need to do this. The sooner the better.” Looking at the “sold” sign, Keelie realized that soon a new family would grow up here. The story of Mom and Keelie as a family was over. Now, it was Keelie and Dad. It was a new chapter, but she wanted one more chance to see the backstory of her life.
Risa was fascinated. “So few trees, but the gardens are beautiful.”
“People pay a lot of money for their landscaping,” Keelie agreed. Her mother had probably chosen this neighborhood because there were so few trees here. There were trees on the other side of Citrus Avenue, but here there were none. Her house was a sparkling white Mediterranean with a bay window in the front. Colorful landscaping decorated the sides of the house, and over the roof she saw the tops of three palms that were actually a block away.
Sean and Risa jumped out. Keelie sat still for a moment, savoring the view of the small neat yard, with its river-rock borders and the flagstone path that led to the back, and the round-topped front door with the little window.
She opened the car door and Knot stretched. He dug his back claws deep into Keelie’s thigh as he propelled himself out the door like an acrobat. He landed on the ground with a thud.
Stupid cat!
Somewhere nearby someone was mowing their lawn, probably Mr. Heidelman, who cut his lawn at odd hours, even at midnight. It had driven Mom crazy. “Who does yard work at midnight? You’d think we had vampires in our neighborhood.”
Keelie wondered if Mom had known about Uncle Dariel. There were so many things Mom had never told her, and now she would never know Mom’s side of the story.
Knot sat on the front walkway and meowed. He looked directly at her as if saying, “Come on.”
Years of memories rolled through Keelie’s mind. They were running into one another, a cluttered collage of film clips from her life: trick-or-treating on Halloween, Chrismases with artificial trees, Thanksgivings, even just bringing in the groceries—the years were heaped on one another.
Keelie wanted to relive them all, capture them in a locket and keep them with her. When she walked out of this house today for the last time, would she lose them?
The others were already trying the locked door and looking through the windows when she got slowly out of the car. Would she feel her mother here?
The solitary orange tree next door sang a song of welcome, and her nose burned with tears. When had she heard this familiar song? Had the trees always sung for her and she just hadn’t heard them? Aching with memory, Keelie went to join her friends.
Yes, I’m back, she told the tree.
She would say goodbye, then leave forever.
The key was in the lock, but Keelie couldn’t make herself turn it. Laurie stood beside her, hands on her hips. She studied Keelie with concern in her eyes. “You ready to do this?”
Risa stared at them from behind Laurie, frowning.
Warm fur rubbed up against her leg. Knot meowed, then reached up and impatiently tapped the doorknob.