Page 69

TWENTY-TWO
Things had been refreshingly quiet and drama-free for the past few weeks with Dad at their stone cottage by the sea in St. Ives in Cornwall. Adelia enjoyed the time alone with her father. They hadn’t dealt with many photographers there, and those they encountered weren’t pushy. It was as if they felt bad for her dad. He was the one who had been wronged, after all.
On Thanksgiving, they made a turkey and all the fixings. Dad’s older brother, Corben, and his wife, Dottie, were arriving for a visit along with their son, Collin, and his family. It had been a long time since she’d seen them, and she was looking forward to a house filled with family. It would be good for Dad to be with his brother too.
But it was going to be strange not having mom there. And as Adelia peeled the yams, a sadness settled over her, knowing this was how it was going to be from now on. They would never be together as a family like they used to, and her heart broke all over again. The perfect ideal she’d always had about marriage and family had been shattered.
When all the food was in the oven, Adelia went about preparing a salad, which made her think of the day Oliver came to stay with her at the lake house. She’d thought of him often since she left Michigan, and they’d talked on the phone a few times, but it wasn’t the same. She was beginning to understand how difficult a long-distance relationship would be.
Oliver kept her up-to-date on what was happening with the case, which was a whole lot of nothing. She really hoped when she returned to Michigan for Gus and Merritt’s wedding, she wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen, and she was torn about what to do next.
Part of her thought it was best if she just went back to Malibu. Her parents’ scandal was old news by now, and while the paparazzi weren’t going away, she was sure she wouldn’t be bombarded like she had in the beginning. And this would put her far away from whoever tried to blackmail her.
But she had to be back in Michigan the second week of December anyway for Gus and Merritt’s wedding. Merritt had said she needed her to be there for a few days leading up to the wedding to help with all the last-minute details, and she couldn’t let her friend down. Adelia was excited for them to say real and honest vows this time and have the wedding they should’ve had the first time around.
Thinking about that made her sad, though. She would never have a wedding. When she was young, she often imagined what it would be like, hanging white shirts or towels from her head, pretending it was a veil, while she walked slowly across the length of her room and imagined meeting her groom at the end of the aisle. But those were just silly childhood fantasies. She was under no more false assumptions when it came to marriage. It was not for her.
The doorbell rang an hour before the turkey timer was set to go off, and Dad welcomed the family in with great joy and commotion.
“Hey there, Hugh,” Dottie said as they hugged. “Long time no see, stranger.”
“Good to see you, Dot,” Dad said. “Hey, big brother.”
Uncle Corben gave him a hug and patted him hard on the back. “Hey, how ya holding up?”
Hugh let go and shrugged. “Just moving forward, day by day.” He motioned the rest of the family into the house as he closed the door. “Come on in.”
Collin and Susie came in, followed by their kids, Samuel and Grace. Adelia couldn’t believe how much they’d grown up since she’d last seen them.
“Oh my goodness,” Adelia said as she came across the house to greet everyone. “Sammy, I think you’re taller than I am now. What are you, six feet?”
Samuel shook his head and rolled his eyes. Oh, preteens were so much fun to be around.
“I wouldn’t doubt it. How old are you now anyway? Twenty?”
Grace giggled. “He’s almost eleven.”
Adelia pulled her into a hug. “Really? Well, then I guess you aren’t quite eighteen yet, are you, Gracie?”
“I wish,” she said with another giggle. “I can’t wait to grow up like you and not be eight anymore.”
“Don’t rush it. Eight is great.”
“Adelia.” Aunt Dottie approached with arms open wide. “You look well, sweetie.”
“Thanks. So do you.”
“How’s everything?” she asked. “Any new projects coming up?”
“Nothing at the moment, but there’s one I’m really excited about. Just waiting for funding and other not-so-fun details to come through.”
“Tell me more.”
They moved into the living room, and the ladies sat down to chat while the men went off to chat elsewhere, and the kids ran off to the entertainment room to play video games.
“Up until now, I’ve done some indie films and a few lighter movies, like my latest rom-com. But this one is special. It’s a true story, a drama, and I think it could be the one that showcases my talent. I want to make a name for myself, not just because of who my parents are, but in my own right, ya know?”
They nodded in agreement.