Chain Reactions Read online

  She ran her fingertips across the neat, cursive writing on the outside of the envelope—Aunt Nora’s unmistakable penmanship. “What’s this?”

  “It’s a package she put together for you shortly after she was diagnosed. She gave me strict instructions that I was not to give it to you until after she expired.”

  Diana pursed her lips. “Did she do this before, or after, she had you contact me?”

  “Before. At the point she created this, she still believed she would die alone, never having seen you again face to face.”

  Brooke shivered. The idea that Nora could’ve died alone and not surrounded by love was unthinkable. She reminded herself to thank Daniel the next time she saw him. Nora wasn’t the only one for whom the last few weeks were life-changing. Being able to spend quality time with Nora was a gift to her as well.

  Diana turned the bulky envelope over several times.

  “Please don’t open that yet. There are a few more things she asked me to share with you first. Diana, when you were in my office several weeks ago, I shared with you some of the details of Nora’s living trust.”

  “Yes.”

  “Because all of her assets were titled to the trust, probate will be unnecessary. Nora did this purposefully in order to prevent your father and mother, and any other living relatives, from interfering with her wishes. She was adamant that no one would successfully contest the will.”

  He withdrew a sheaf of papers from another folder. He opened his mouth to speak again, and Diana held a hand up to stop him.

  “Are you sure we should be talking about all this now? I mean, Aunt Nora hasn’t even been gone twenty-four hours, and we’re sitting here talking about the distribution of her assets. It seems…vulgar.” She shuddered.

  Brooke sympathized with her. One thing she knew without doubt—Diana wasn’t in this for what she could reap materially. No, her love for Nora was unquestioned, genuine, and unencumbered by earthly possessions.

  Perhaps some of Diana’s discomfort had to do with Brooke’s presence? Well, she could fix that. She rose. “Clearly, this is a private discussion. I should go.”

  “No,” Diana said.

  “On the contrary,” Charles said. “This has quite a bit to do with you. Please, stay.”

  Reluctantly, she sat back down.

  “I understand how you feel, Diana,” he said. “But Nora was very specific about how all of this was to unfold, and, as you know, she was a persuasive woman, a force to be reckoned with. She had a lot of time to think about what she wanted, and she meticulously planned every detail, including the timing.”

  He picked up the top document on the stack of papers before him. “This is Nora’s last will and testament. I brought a copy you can read through at your leisure, but she asked me to share several items she recently added, including a preface to the will.”

  He donned a pair of glasses and began to read. “I, Nora Lindstrom, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare that the provisions contained within this will are my wishes, and mine alone. I have not been coerced or pressured in any way, and I have discussed my desires with no one prior to creating this legally binding document. I make these bequests of my own free will and with a full heart, and I ask those named herein to consider the contents of this document as my dying wish.”

  He flipped to the second page, scanned the contents, and lowered the paper to the table. “I’ll spare you both the legal mumbo-jumbo. As I said, you can read the document in its entirety later. Instead, I’ll share with you Nora’s pertinent instructions and bequests.

  “To Diana, my beloved great-niece, I bequeath via my trust, my primary residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and all the contents therein, with one exception. To Brooke, my trusted caregiver and friend, I bequeath via my trust, my cottage in Truro, Massachusetts, and all the contents therein to do with as she wishes.”

  “What?” Brooke exclaimed. She put her hand over her heart, which was beating wildly in her chest. Nora had left her this place? What could she have been thinking? She shifted her attention to Diana. Was this okay with her? Surely everything should pass to her; she was Nora’s next of kin and chosen beneficiary. “That must be a mistake.”

  “It is not,” Charles assured her.

  “But Diana—”

  “I’m fine with that, Brooke. In fact, I’m glad. This place suits you perfectly. Aunt Nora knew that.” She smiled wistfully. “Leave it to Aunt Nora to know exactly the right thing to do.”

  She turned her attention to Charles. “You said there was an exception regarding the contents of the house in Cambridge. What was it?”

  “I’m glad you asked,” he said. He pulled out from his pile a third folder.

  This one was thin and Brooke could see that it was marked, “Diana and Brooke.”

  He withdrew three sealed envelopes, all with lettering in Nora’s precise script. One bore Diana’s name, one Brooke’s, and the third was addressed to both of them. He handed them each the envelopes addressed to them individually.

  Brooke turned hers over.

  “Please, open them and read.”

  “Now?” Brooke and Diana asked simultaneously.

  “Nora’s instructions,” he said, as if that explained everything.

  Brooke glanced over to see that Diana already had begun to read. She slit open the envelope addressed to her with a fingernail and teased out the letter.

  My dearest Brooke,

  If you are reading this now, it is because I have passed. First, I want to thank you for your compassionate, expert care. No one could have been in better hands than me. I am so grateful to you for all that you did for me.

  Brooke swallowed hard and shook her head to ward off the tears that threatened.

  But you were so much more than my nurse. You were my friend, my confidant, my companion. In you, I recognized the same extraordinary qualities I saw in someone I loved very much, many years ago, in a place far, far away. And for you, I hope for a much happier ending.

  Brooke lowered the letter. Could Nora be referencing the Mary of her nightmares? Now she would never know.

  By now, Charles will have read to you the portion of my will in which I leave to you the cottage. I know you, dear Brooke. You won’t think you deserve such largess. But you do, my dear. You deserve every good thing.

  Please know, I am not a sentimental person. Feel free to do with my possessions as you wish. Make this place YOUR home, not a museum or monument to me.

  You are at a crossroads in your life, and you chose this area in which to heal. I did much the same when I retired here and purchased this place. It was my salvation. I hope it will be yours, as well. Consider it a repayment for your kindness, my dear.

  Whatever choices you make in your life, please promise me you’ll always choose love. Don’t be like me, living with regrets for far too long.

  Live, love, and be well, dear Brooke.

  Affectionately, your friend,

  Nora Lindstrom

  Brooke cleared her throat to stave off the emotions welling up inside her, and slowly became aware once again of her surroundings. Diana was tucking her letter back into the envelope. Her expression gave nothing away.

  What had her letter said? What words of wisdom had Nora imparted to her? It was none of her business and she would never ask. But that did not mean she wasn’t curious. She imagined Diana was thinking similar thoughts. Perhaps later they would share with each other.

  “Now that you’re both done reading…” Charles removed a pair of key rings from his pocket. He handed one to Diana, and the other to Brooke. “As I said, there’s no need for probate in Nora’s case, so you both are free to treat the properties as your own. As Nora’s executor, I’ll file all the necessary paperwork to have the deeds transferred over and take care of disbursing the remainder of her estate. Everything is clearly laid out in the will. I’ll leave you both a copy for your perusal.” He handed each of them a folder. “Everything about each of your properties is in
your respective folders.”

  He pointed to the third letter, the one addressed to both of them. It sat on the table between them. “Nora specifically asked me to leave you two alone to read that one, although she did ask that you read it simultaneously. So, this is where I exit, stage left.” He stood, gathered his papers, and stuffed them back in his briefcase.

  “But what about her burial wishes? She and I never discussed it,” Diana said.

  “She left instructions for that too.” He tapped yet another folder. “You’ll find everything you need to know about what to do next in this folder. If you have any questions, please call. And, of course, let Emily and me know once you’ve selected a date for the service.”

  Charles turned to leave. “Oh, Diana? That thicker envelope that I told you not to open yet? Nora asked that you open it after the letter addressed to you and Brooke. You are welcome to open it in privacy or not, she didn’t specify.”

  “Understood.”

  They walked Charles to the door. “Thank you for everything,” Diana said.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “You’re both welcome. Nora thought the world of you two, and I can see why. Take care of each other and yourselves. Remember, as long as you hold Nora’s memory in your hearts, she’ll always live within you.”

  They bid him goodbye and watched him drive away.

  “Now what?” Brooke asked.

  “Now I guess we follow Aunt Nora’s next instruction and read the joint letter.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Brooke fidgeted with the coffee pot, opened and closed the cupboard twice without remembering to take out mugs or the bag of coffee, and then leaned against the counter. Her hands shook, and Diana restrained herself from going to her and putting her arms around her.

  “I don’t really need coffee. Please, come sit down.”

  Brooke turned and faced her. “I need you to know that I’m going to deed this place over to you.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Diana—”

  “I meant what I said before, Brooke. Aunt Nora knew exactly what she was doing, and she did the right thing leaving the cottage to you.”

  “I don’t know how much this place is worth, but I priced homes here when I first came out after leaving Dana-Farber. I couldn’t afford a shack, never mind something as lovely as this.” She waved her hands to encompass the cottage.

  “I don’t care about the money. Besides, how many homes can I live in at one time? I’ve got my place in New York and now Aunt Nora’s house in Cambridge. That’s already one home too many.”

  “You could sell the cottage and—”

  “No. I’m not going to do anything of the sort. Leaving this place to you was Aunt Nora’s intention, and we’re both going to honor that.”

  Finally, Brooke came back to the table and sat down heavily. “I can’t fathom why she did that.”

  “And that’s precisely why this is so perfect. You’re not the kind of person who thinks good things should happen to her. You give of yourself without expectation, and Aunt Nora is right that you have a big heart. I’m so happy for you.”

  She wanted to take Brooke’s hand, to smooth the worry lines from her face, to somehow make this okay. But she couldn’t imagine what more she could say. Instead, she decided to change the subject. “How about if we open the joint letter and read it?” She pushed the envelope in Brooke’s direction. “You’ve got nails. You open it.”

  Brooke slit open the envelope, removed several sheets of neatly folded note paper, and smoothed them on the table. Diana came up behind her to read over her shoulder.

  “Can you see all right?”

  “Tilt them up, will you?”

  Brooke lifted the pages to a forty-five-degree angle. “This okay?”

  “Perfect.”

  My dear girls,

  I am so sorry to have left this earth with tasks undone, words unsaid, and questions unanswered. Who knew that was possible at my age?

  Diana smiled at the gentle, self-deprecating humor so characteristic of Aunt Nora.

  The one thing that gives me comfort and great joy is that the two of you have each other to lean on in this time of sorrow, and lean on each other I hope you do.

  Charles would have told you both by now that the Cambridge house and all therein belongs to Diana, with one exception. No doubt you two are wondering what that might be. I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.

  In the attic of that home, you’ll find an old, beat-up trunk (how trite).

  Brooke glanced back at Diana. “Are you ready for me to turn the page?”

  “Yes.”

  I mean for you, Diana, and you, Brooke, to explore the contents of that trunk together, never one without the other. I know, I know. This sounds like the contrived or eccentric wishes of an old and feeble woman. Yes, I am old but not feeble of mind, as I’m convinced you have discovered for yourself in these last weeks. So please, bear with me. I have my reasons for this stipulation.

  Now for the rest.

  Diana, I need to address something you shared with me when you first arrived here. There was a kernel of truth amongst the lies your grandfather and parents told you. I did spend decades of my life working on secret or classified projects. And I did, for a number of years, live outside the country, although I returned frequently to Washington as part of my work.

  And that is where Bill’s adherence to the truth ends and his fabrications begin. I returned to the states to live and work shortly before you were born. I never again worked overseas, and I most assuredly was never, ever too busy to be in your life. (You will discover proof of this when you open the thicker envelope Charles gave you, if you haven’t opened it already.)

  Diana remembered the first envelope Charles gave her—the one she had set aside for later. She spied the corner of it peeking out from underneath the folders he’d left.

  “Do you want to open that now?” Brooke asked, following her gaze.

  “No. Let’s keep going. We can look at that afterward.”

  Brooke turned the page.

  Brooke, dear Brooke… I awoke more than once in agitation, speaking a name quite clearly. On one such occasion, I noticed the expression on your face, and, much to my chagrin, it became clear to me that you heard me say this name in anguish. Yet never once did you ask me about it, even though I could see that you wanted to. You were the epitome of discretion, and for that I was, and am, most grateful.

  Diana shifted so she and Brooke were face to face. “Aunt Nora was calling out someone’s name?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was it a man or a woman?”

  “A woman. Mary.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I considered it, but I didn’t want to violate Nora’s privacy. Do you know who Mary was? A sister, maybe? Your mother or grandmother?”

  She shook her head. “As far as I know, there were no Marys in my family.”

  “Well, whoever Mary was, she was really important to Nora, and something about the relationship haunted her.”

  She drummed her fingers on the table as she weighed the possibilities. “Mary could’ve been an old girlfriend.”

  “Girlfriend, as in a romantic interest?”

  “You didn’t know Aunt Nora was gay?”

  “Not with any certainty, no.”

  “I asked her once if she’d shared that with you and she said she hadn’t, but I thought maybe you’d figured it out on your own.”

  “No,” Brooke said. “I mean, she asked me about my love life and didn’t seem fazed by the fact that I was a lesbian. That made me wonder a little. Then she told me she’d never been married, which made me wonder even more. Once or twice I asked myself if maybe Mary was her lover, but it wasn’t as though Nora set off my gaydar or anything.” She sat back. “The short answer to your question is no.”

  “The plot thickens.”

  “I guess so.” After a beat, Brooke asked, “How were you so sure I was a les
bian?”

  Diana chuckled. “Aunt Nora made a point of telling me.”

  Brooke groaned and her cheeks turned a pretty shade of red. “How much did she divulge?”

  “Nothing beyond the fact that you were gay.”

  “When was that?”

  “I think it was on my second visit. She was quite adamant that I should ask you out. She browbeat me about whether or not I found you attractive.”

  Brooke nearly choked on a sip of water. “She did what?”

  A blush crept up her neck. “The paraphrase goes something like this. ‘Brooke is lovely, don’t you think? And she’s single. You should ask her out.’ Or something like that.”

  “Oh, my God. Is that why you kissed me that first time? Because Nora thought we’d make a nice couple?”

  “No.” Her voice took on a husky quality. “I kissed you because I couldn’t help myself. I kissed you because I find you fascinating and I want to know you better. I kissed you because it was all I could think about doing.”

  And it’s all I can think about doing now. She stroked Brooke’s cheek and allowed her fingers to wander to Brooke’s lush lips. Brooke’s eyes grew heavy lidded and Diana couldn’t stand it any longer. She lowered her mouth to meet Brooke’s and took her time exploring.

  The taste of her was sweet and the texture of her lips and tongue so soft. She ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of Brooke’s neck and deepened the kiss. This time, neither of them pulled away.

  Diana’s pulse thundered in her ears. No simple kiss had ever felt this exquisite. Her hand moved to the side of Brooke’s neck, and then downward. She caressed Brooke’s collarbone and…

  “Wait.” Brooke put a hand over hers. “Wait. Oh, God. Please wait before I can’t think anymore.”

  She opened her eyes. Brooke’s chest was heaving and Diana could see that her pulse was jumping too.

  “I won’t apologize this time,” Diana managed.

  “I don’t want you to,” Brooke answered, equally breathless.