Chapter 98 Heart To Heart
ALICE
Francesca directed me to her penthouse and I parked the car in the underground garage.
I turned to look at her and she told me in a firm voice, "My doctor will arrive soon, but I could do with some company in the meantime. Would you like to come upstairs, Alice?"
"I'd love to."
I helped her every step of the way. My heart was breaking for her and honestly, I didn't think it was fair that she was going through this alone because she was terrified of how her family would act.
This was such a difficult moment and she needed support more than ever.
Francesca told me that she wanted to sit down in the living room, and I helped her onto one of the plush sofas in her massive living room. The space looked like it had jumped straight out of a home decor magazine.
It was stunning.
"Do you need anything else?" I asked softly as I stepped back.
"Oh, I'll be better soon," she claimed, smiling. She then gestured at her top. "Once I feel better, I'll run a bath and get out of these clothes. I can't thank you enough for being here with me, Alice. I mean that."
"I'm happy to help."
She gestured at the sofa directly across from hers with a flick of her wrist. "Why don't you sit down? We could have a little chat. Naturally, you don't have to go back to work. As your boss, I insist that you take the rest of the day off."
I did as she requested and sat with my clasped hands on my lap. We stared at each other for a total of ten seconds—I knew this because I counted—and then she smiled before saying, "You don't have to look so sorry for me, Alice. I've come to terms with my condition a long time ago."
I rearranged my face into a more neutral expression. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable in any way."
Francesca shrugged. "No, I'm not uncomfortable. You don't have to worry yourself with that. What I mean is that I'm an old woman and I've lived my life. It's time to move on to the next plane. If it exists, that is."
"Are you religious?"
"I wouldn't say so, no," she admitted. "My parents were, though. Then again, back then, times were different. I just never felt interested in any of it. I hated church as a young girl. It just went on and on. But I guess it would be nice to have some reassurance that there's something after this. It would definitely be better than just sleeping for the rest of eternity. What do you believe?"
"I guess that there's an afterlife. And that if you're a good person, you go to a better place."
"It's a comfort," she claimed. "One I certainly don't have. I've been told that people turn to God when death is at their doorstep, but I personally think it would be worse to go to Him now when I've spent an entire life turning from him. I'll just have to wait and see."
I rubbed my hands together. I wasn't entirely at ease with this conversation. I kept thinking about Theo and how he loved his grandmother. Her death would crush him.
"I worry for Theo," she suddenly said, almost like she could read my thoughts. "The family won't be happy that I'll announce him heir of the Linden-Hawthorne family. Especially his mother."
I recalled how Francesca had described her when we were still in the office. "I think Theo will handle himself fairly well. I mean, he's stubborn and determined in all aspects of life."
"Yes, I suppose you're right," she agreed. "But they're going to break up, and I didn't want that. Oh, Alice, when they say that money is the root of all evil, believe it. People do terrible things because of it."
"I can imagine," was all I could think of offering to the conversation. What did I know about having money and everything that came with it? All my life, I'd hoped and prayed to become rich. Every broke kid dreamt of wealth. Of huge houses and swimming pools. Trips abroad. Disneyland. Growing up made me realize that it wasn't as easy as in the movies and books, so it was something I gave up on quickly.
After I graduated from high school, my priority became attaining financial stability.
If I had a roof over my head, paid bills, and food in my belly, then I had a lot to be thankful for.
"We're very close," I heard Francesca mumble. She was staring at the floor, not at me. Tears gathered in her eyes and once more, I felt my chest tighten. "I hope he'll find it in him to forgive me for this."
"I'm sure he will. Theo loves you."
Francesca's eyes met mine again. "Oh, Alice. I hope you're right. But enough about this. I wanted to share a bit of information with you. I'll be closing Ember & Ink. As you can probably tell, I'm not in the position to run companies anymore. This was a small project that kept me busy when my husband died, but now it's time to say goodbye. I doubt Theo will have the time to run this business for me when I'm gone. You and the others will be moved to Hawthorne Group. I've already told Theo about it."
"Does that mean he'll be returning to the company?"
"Yes." She smiled. "It's where he belongs. Besides, things are starting to settle down. I know the other family members want him out of there and they're willing to do whatever it takes, but it won't work. I should also mention that an announcement concerning you and him will be published. Nothing too descriptive—just a little note letting the world know that you're in a relationship. Are you alright with that?"
"I guess so," I replied, stunned. "Pictures of us kissing are all over the internet, anyway. This would be nothing compared to that."
Francesca giggled. "You're right about that."
God. I couldn't believe that I'd be working with Theo again. Though the thought excited me, I felt terrible about leaving Ember & Ink and I made this known. "I was really passionate about the work we were doing. The position as Director of Client Relations...It brought me back to life."
"And you did a wonderful job. Really. It was an honor having you with us, Alice."
I felt emotional all of a sudden and looked down so she wouldn't see tears swimming in my eyes, but she probably already had. Either way, she didn't mention it.
Francesca sat up suddenly and lightly slapped her thighs. "I've taken a lot of your time already."
"No, of course not. I was glad to be here."
"I should probably get cleaned up and wait for my doctor."
"You're sure you don't need any help with that? It's no bother at all."
"Oh, I'm sure." She stood up carefully and made her way to my side. I stood and we held hands. "Thank you, Alice. For everything."
Just then, she received a call from the porter letting her know that her doctor had arrived. I grabbed my purse and moved to stand close to the door. She opened it for me, moving slowly, and said, "We'll see each other soon."
"Can't wait," I smiled.
I took a few steps forward, but the sound of her voice stopped me. "Alice, I'd like to ask you something."
I turned around to face her. "Of course."
"If you suddenly, say, won the lottery—and we're talking millions here—what would you do with the money?"
I found her question really strange. "Honestly? I don't have a clue."
Francesca nodded. "See you soon."
I headed toward my car and couldn't stop thinking of the question. Heck, even in the privacy of my own thoughts, I had no idea what I'd do with the money. Buy a house? Probably. But I felt that her question went deeper than that.
How? I had no clue, either.