Chapter 1 ❀

Teagan started picking up plates from various spots throughout the house. There was a lot more room to navigate now that most of the guests had begun making their excuses and leaving. It had been a long day starting with the preparations for the reception held here in her family home, then the funeral, and now clean up would need to be started. Teagan nervously wiped up crumbs into her hand from counters and the main table, carrying them to the trash. She started a load in the dishwasher. The nervous, sad energy was driving her forward despite the exhaustion, heavy on her body. She enjoyed staying busy.  It kept her mind from the significant loss she had suffered only five days ago. 

She had been prepared, well as prepared as one could be after fighting alongside someone with terminal cancer. Her father had fought esophageal cancer six years ago and won. He had gone to Jamaica with Michelle, his wife, to celebrate that victory. Hiked along the Great Wall in China, and was Teagan’s great cheerleader as she finished her accounting degree. Then six months ago, it had returned with a vengeance, and by the time his cough had taken him to the doctor, the invasive disease was in his lungs, liver, and lymph nodes. 

He had continued as best he could, and when he came home for the last time, Teagan had taken over his care. She worked during the day at a nonprofit legal firm, as the bookkeeper. The job allowed her to take a lot of the work home, and they had been flexible with her schedule these last few months. Between caring for her dad and work, she had given up a social life except for church. Her dad had been her best friend, so the few other acquaintances she had after high school and college had drifted away during this time and now weren’t consequential to her. Most were busy getting married, starting families, and launching their careers. 

Teagan had never been popular, even in high school. She was a bit too serious, not a great beauty like her step-sister Gabi, and more introverted than an extravert. She wondered about getting back out into the world now and figuring out what it would look like without her father there to come home to at the end of each day. 

The mere thought of never seeing him again made tears well up once more and with each passing minute, they threatened to travel down her cheeks. Her biological mother had died during childbirth, from a rare blood clotting issue that no one had expected. Her dad had been her primary caregiver until he met Michelle three years later. He was a stockbroker, and she had been an executive assistant hired for one of the partners at the firm. The attraction he always said was immediate, and within a year, they were a family. She had treated Teagan like her child, until the moment Gabi came along. 

The gorgeous blonde haired cherub stole everyone’s heart from the moment she entered this world. Gabi had grown into a beauty pageant contestant and now made a decent living as a model. She had been one of the most popular girls in high school, a cheerleader of course, and a bit on the naughty side. Teagan played in the band, chess club, and regularly volunteered at church. 

As Teagan even now glanced across the room, her sister was perched on the edge of a chair, patting her eyes. She was playing to the crowd of three young men, Teagan didn’t recognize, and even Pastor Houston appeared to be getting in on the act. Teagan chuckled to herself as she continued cleaning. She felt a bit like Cinderella, except Gabi wasn’t evil at all, just a bit on the spoiled side. Things just came easier for her, and she was born with the looks that took people far in this world. Teagan had to work at everything, and most people looked past her without taking notice. Two more opposite sisters, the world had probably never seen. 

“I think that is the last of them,” Michelle said, coming alongside her, as Gabi stood to show the young men with her out the door. Teagan had long ago quit thinking of her as mom when in the sixth grade, she had let everyone in the PTA know that she wasn’t Teagan’s biological mother. This after a slight mishap with some glitter on Teagan’s part. She had never been that graceful. On the ride home that night, she had questioned if she should call her mom. The first time asking such a thing had occurred to her, Michelle had let her know that calling her Michelle would do. And that was that from that day forward it was Michelle and not mom as it had been. 

“Do you think you can have this cleaned up by tomorrow, there is an open house scheduled that the real estate lady just called about.”

Teagan froze above the plate she was about to pick up. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Open house,” Michele looked at her, confused. “That is when people come to see a house, to see if they wish to purchase it.”

“I know what an open house is, but I didn’t know we were selling.”

“We aren’t,” she said lightly as if it was no big deal. “You are moving out and finding an apartment of your own, now that you are not needed around here. I have decided to move to a condo in the 55 or up community I have been eyeing.”

“What about Gabi?”

“She is moving to New York, didn’t you hear she got a great new gig with her friend CeCe and she leaves next week.”

“I hadn’t heard,” Teagan said as her heart thudded really loud in her chest, she was sure Michelle could hear. “Dad would hate us all selling the house and moving away.”

“Honey,” Michelle said sweetly. “He would want us to be happy and move on. I promise you. Your dad was the most selfless person and did everything for his family. I’m certain he would want us all to carry on and find some happiness.”

“How long do I have to find something?”

“I would recommend you do so in say the next couple of weeks, maybe a month,” Michelle said, turning from her to go toward where Gabi now sat in the living room. She flung her arms open and hugged Gabi as Teagan’s head dropped forward. At twenty-five, she had no idea how she was going to start over without her best friend, afford an apartment on her own, and get it done while working her job full-time.

Clean first. Then worry, she decided, bending to pick up one more plate.