take me off life support if it comes to that, so Skyler will have to do it. You would always hold out for one more day to see if I got better. I can’t bear knowing that each day would just bring you more pain. Skyler will take care of it so that you don’t have to. Also, I do not want a big, lavish funeral. I want a simple graveside service with only you girls attending. You would never let that happen, so I’m leaving that to Skyler, also. It’s her turn to shoulder some of the responsibility that you’ve taken on all these years while she’s been off at college or working in the summers at her camps.
I’m leaving her the house because you need to move on with your life and not live in the past, which you will do if you have the homeplace to move into. It needs to be sold, and the profits split between you girls. It’s just a house and should never be a shrine to me or your grandfather. Please, forgive me for keeping things from you and understand that I’ve loved you from the day the nurse at the hospital laid you in my arms. You were so much easier to raise than Skyler, but that was my fault. I thought she was the only child I’d ever have so I let her have her way with everything from the beginning. Once it started, it snowballed, and your father didn’t help matters.
Don’t blame Skyler. She’s only done what I’ve asked her to do in the letter that I’ve left in the lawyer’s hands for her. I’m ready to go. When you are reading this, I will have finished my race here on earth. Don’t mourn for me, but rather remember all the good times we’ve had.
It was signed, Love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck, Mama.
Jayden read through it three times, and every time tears fell on the paper, leaving water marks and blurring part of the words. She finally held it to her heart and remembered that her mother had said that thing about bushels and pecks many, many times when she was just a little girl.
When she finally got her emotions under control enough to talk, she picked up the phone and called Skyler. She didn’t care if her sister was mad at her—she wanted to hear about the letter her mother wrote to her.
“Hello!” Skyler’s voice sounded downright chipper.
“Where are you?” Jayden asked.
“I’m in my apartment looking at bridal magazines. Have you changed your mind about giving me the money for my wedding?” Skyler asked.
“No, I have not,” Jayden answered. “Why didn’t you tell me that Mama left letters for us?”
“I figured that the lawyer gave yours to you like he did mine. What did yours say?” Skyler asked. “Did it tell you to be nice to me when I need money?”
“What did your letter say?” Jayden asked.
“Lord, I don’t remember. That was years ago. She mainly said that we were to sell the house and split the profits. I kept a bigger portion because I was the one who did all the work when it came to selling it, and I had to make the decision to pull the plug on life support. I deserved more of the house money. Oh, and that she loved me.” Skyler sighed. “Now, about my wedding?”
“The answer is still no,” Jayden said.
“You’re a sorry excuse for a sister,” Skyler said and then the line went dead.
Jayden was too restless to sleep. The guilt surrounding her for not confronting her sister back when things were happening seemed to smother her. She finally pulled on a pair of shorts because her nightshirt barely covered her underpants and went outside to look at the stars. Going from a nice cool house into the hot night air almost sent her right back inside, but she sat down in a chair and let out a long sigh.
“I heard that.” Elijah appeared out of the darkness at the end of her porch steps. “You having trouble sleeping tonight, too?”
She motioned toward the empty chair next to hers. “Come on up and have a seat, and to answer your question, yes, I’ve got insomnia and guilt all rolled up into one big ball.”
“Guilt?” He set a bottle of water on the table between them. “What on earth would you have to be guilty about? I told you a week ago that