Ch 1
Erin sat in the hard plastic chair at the social services office and glowered at her Uncle Brandon. "Explain to me again why I can't live with you."
"Because your mother's will said she wants you to live with our sister Nicole."
"I never even met Aunt Nicole. Hell, I didn't even know she existed until Mom was in the hospital. Why do I have to go live with her?" Erin was so frustrated angry and upset she was on the brink of tears.
"I don't know baby girl. I guess Tay wanted it this way." Brandon said gently, masking his own hurt that Taylor had chosen Nicole over him.
"I just can't believe she's gone." Erin wailed, letting loose the tears she had been fighting. Her uncle held her close and let her cry. If she had seen his face she would've seen his tears as well. "Where does she live?" Erin dried her eyes.
"It's a nice little town in the Midwest. It's called Salem. I've never seen it, but Tay lived there for a while. She liked it a lot, I think." Brandon fudged the truth. He'd been to Salem, but thought it better not to tell Erin about it.
"Then why'd she leave?"
"That was where she met your dad."
"Do you know who he is?" Erin was excited. Taylor had promised to tell Erin all about her father on her eighteenth birthday but had died before that could happen. Erin had turned 17 in August, just last month. " You and Mom were close weren't you?"
"Yeah, I was close to your mom. But she didn't trust anyone with that secret. I was closer to Nikki growing up, but after I heard she got married I decided to steer clear. The only thing I ever seemed to do to her was get her into trouble. I didn't want to mess stuff up for her that time round." Brandon's eyes darkened. "But she did that herself."
"How?" Erin asked, interested. If she had to live with her Aunt it was better to know everything about her from the start.
"I'll tell you on the trip out."
"What?" Erin asked.
"Well, they can't send you over a thousand miles all by your self. We'll take a road trip out there. Just the two of us."
"I don't get it Uncle Brandon. Why do I have to change schools in my SENIOR YEAR?"
"I don't know." He repeated for what felt like the millionth time.
"I hate this."
"I know. It isn't fair to you."
Erin's eyes welled up again. The tears never seemed to stop. Erin had loved Taylor dearly, even though they usually didn't get along. It stemmed from Taylor's absolute refusal to discuss her past or Erin's father and Taylor's plans for Erin's future. Erin's independence and determination to choose her own path had caused friction between them, until last June. Taylor had been diagnosed with leukemia. The cancer had been in remission by August. Taylor was taking a cab home from the hospital. Erin had been waiting at home with a surprise party for her mom. In a cruel twist of irony, Taylor had died in a car accident instead of the leukemia she had fought into remission. Erin had proved in court that the cab driver had been at fault. She had sued the Cab Company and was now a well off young woman. She was planning to use the money for college. She would rather have worked her way through college and have her mother with her than be able to pay for college and not have her mom around to argue with. Erin was as good as an orphan. She had never met her father. She didn't know his name, how he met her mom, or anything else about him. 'Well, actually now I know that they met in Salem. Maybe he still lives there!' She started to feel just a little bit excited.
Brandon ruffled her hair. "It'll be OK. Maybe Nikki and her husband will let you live with me until the end of the school year."
"Maybe." Erin was determined not to get her hopes up to high. Doing that would be an invitation for disappointment. "Can I go home now?" She was emotionally and physically exhausted.
"Of course. I'll drive you." Brandon helped Erin shrug into her light jacket. "About your stuff." Brandon said when they were in the car.
"What about it?" Erin's head was leaning against the window. She was glad that for once, just this moment, she wasn't in control and didn't have to be.
"Nikki and her husband have a house full of furniture. What are you going to do with all of yours?"
"I�. I guess I didn't think that far ahead. What do you think I should do?"
"You should set aside your favorite knick knacks, books, pictures, and all of your clothes. Maybe if Taylor had any really nice furniture you would want to put that into storage. I'll deal with the rest of it. Take the clothes, your favorite knick knacks and a few reminders of Taylor with you to Nicole and Eric's."
Erin's eyes filled with tears for the billionth time. "You know I haven't even been in her room since it happened?"
"I know." He said in the same gentle, patronizing tone he'd been using for nearly three weeks.
"This sucks, did you know that too?" Erin demanded.
"Dammit Erin! Do you think I wanted this to happen? Do you think I wanted my little sister to die? Do you think I want to lose my niece, the only family I have left who I've seen in the past twenty years, to Nicole? Do you think there's anything I can do about it?"
Erin let a few tears roll down her face. "No, I don't think that."
"Oh! Rina-Gina (Rina rhymes with Gina. It's Brandon's nickname for Erin.) You should have stopped me. You're the last person in the world I want to hurt. The person I really want to hurt right now is your mom for not leaving custody of you to me. And Nicole, for insisting we not talk until we get to Salem. But not you Rina, because you're the last person I want to hurt right now."
"You know what sucks? I have to leave all my friends and my school in my senior year to live with some Aunt I've never met or heard of. Does she have any kids?" Erin rested her head again.
"Yes. Last I heard she has three kids. The oldest one is about your age, I don't know about the other two. It's been a long time since I talked to Nikki about family life." He smiled bitterly. The last time was the night he left Salem and Noelle Curtis nearly ten years ago. "Aren't you mad about leaving that boyfriend of yours?"
"Vince?" Erin asked, a little shiver passing down her spine. "No, I don't mind leaving him. He's a real bastard. Only thing he wants out of a relationship is sex. I only went out with him to piss mom off. He really didn't fit into her idea of the perfect boyfriend."
"Oh?" Brandon asked. "Did you�"
"NO!" Erin cried out. "That's disgusting Uncle Brandon."
Brandon laughed in relief. "Just had to ask Rina. Just had to ask. I hope your taste in men improves."
"With an ex-prize fighter for an uncle? Why don't you stick around and chase away the nasty ones and the ass holes for me?"
"We're all nasty Rina. Most of us are assholes too. Did your mother know about the kind of language you use?"
"Yeah, she knew. I got into the habit in junior high along with smoking. I wanted to annoy her as much as she annoyed me. I quit smoking, and I'm trying to break myself of swearing. For the record, I'm tempted to agree with you about all guys being nasty but you're proof that there are good men out there. I just have to find one."
"Don't think too much of me Rina. I don't want to disappoint you." Brandon concentrated on the road. Without meaning to he had taken the road that went right past Taylor's cemetery. Maybe Erin wouldn't notice.
"I can't imagine you disappointing anyone Uncle B. You've always been there for me. You came to every chorus concert, every talent show, every father/daughter event my school ever had after you and mom found each other again." She smiled at him weakly and returned to looking out the window.
Brandon smiled, but he felt guilty. 'You disappointed Noelle, Brandon. She could be raising your child all by herself, just like your mom raised you. Just like Taylor and Erin.' 'That's different.' He argued with himself. "Noelle has her whole family. Tay and Rina didn't have anybody. They needed me.' The other voice in his head laughed shrilly. He shook his head to clear it and noticed Erin crying. Wordlessly he rummaged underneath the seat. He fished out a box of tissues and handed them to her. They arrived at the house without further incident.
Erin finished packing the last box in her room. She would pack the clothes later. She placed the box on top of the pile for the movers to take tomorrow. She heard Uncle Brandon snoring from the guestroom. She smiled a little. Taylor had once said that Brandon could sleep anywhere. Erin's heart broke. "I miss you mommy." She whispered, feeling like she had as a child of seven when Taylor had gone to a physical therapist's convention in Chicago. Brandon had just regained contact with Taylor, so Taylor asked him to baby-sit Erin. He had fallen asleep early, and Erin had crept silently through the house that suddenly seemed enormous and terrifying. She remembered tripping on the stairs and the horrible, out of control frightened feeling as she flew through the air. And the landing had hurt most of all. That was how she felt now, like she was falling down the stairs in the dark because her Mommy was gone and Uncle Brandon didn't have the sense to take care of her. "Will the landing hurt too this time?" She asked the silent house. Erin walked from room to room. Every room she looked in had been ransacked of pictures and knick-knacks that sat in boxes around the rooms. The furniture was still here, but white sheets covered it. Brandon had arranged to sell the furniture and the house after she was gone. She didn't think she could take an auction while she was still living in the house. That money also went into her college fund. The kitchen stuff she sent to good will. The TV and stereo were placed in storage. There was only one room that no one had touched. Erin stood in front of the door to Taylor's bedroom for several long minutes before muttering under her breath: "This is stupid" and pushing open the door. The scent of Taylor's favorite perfume assaulted her nostrils. Erin shook her head fiercely. She WOULD NOT cry. Not now when she had a job to do. Erin resolutely picked up the bottles of perfume and wrapped them in bubble wrap. She carefully put them in a box that would join the prize furniture in the storage unit. She packed the pictures on Taylor's dresser with the perfume. Her jewelry box, her makeup and favorite scarf followed. On second thought Taylor removed the jewelry from the box. "Maybe Aunt Nicole would like it. It's the least I can do." Erin spoke to the picture of her and Taylor that was taped to the mirror. Erin used a few of her mother's favorite clothes to pad the box, then sealed it. She stripped the unused sheets off the bed and started a good will pile. Many of Taylor's clothes books and whatnots joined the pile. Before too long the only thing left to do was go through the stuff on the top of the closet and under the bed. With a yawn Erin looked at her watch. 'It's almost one o clock!' She thought in surprise. I'll finish this tomorrow.' She drifted off to an uneasy sleep. The next morning she awoke to the smell of coffee. Erin pulled on a pair of jeans and her favorite shirt. It was a little too large. Across the front it said 'The big questions/ Who am I? / Why am I here? / What is my purpose in life?' On the back in large letters it asked: 'Where's the coffee and donuts?' With her hair still rumpled Erin staggered downstairs. "Morning." She mumbled without looking at who was in the kitchen. She unconsciously echoed her shirt. "Where's the coffee? Did you get donuts?"
"Surprise!" Shouted her friends.
Erin's jaw dropped. They had thrown a surprise going away party for her? "You guys, I, I, I don't know what to say." She quavered.
"Quick! Run while it lasts!" Ryan, her best friend's boyfriend shouted jokingly. They were friends, but also truly enjoyed pissing each other off.
Erin stuck out her tongue. "Give me some of that coffee so I can finish packing. Would anyone mind helping me pack the truck?"
"That's why we're here!" A few people chorused some sunnily, some tiredly, some grouchily.
"Thank you so much! I'll be right back." Her best friend, Maria, (portrayed by Amy Jo Johnson) handed her a mug of coffee. Ryan handed over a donut and watched her scurry away. Brandon was gone, Erin noticed. She brushed, packed a bag with clothes for a week and stuck the presents for Maria and Ryan into the bag with her clothes. She packed the rest of her clothes into a wardrobe box. By the time she was downstairs all her friends, except Maria were in the garage. "Thank you Maria. I don't know if I could get through this without you."
"Oh, don't worry about it. Is there anything inside you need help with?"
"Yeah." Erin swallowed. "I need to finish my mom's room."
"Let's go." Maria said sympathetically. How do you help your best friend after her mother dies? The two girls managed to get to the stairs without tripping over the scattered boxes. They trekked into Taylor's room. It still smelled of lilac and rose perfume. Sun streamed through the window.
"Will you go through the stuff in the closet? I'm planning on doing the stuff under the bed."
"No problem." The girls pulled things out and started sifting through.
Underneath the bed Erin found boxes of papers. She recognized most of it as patient information the hospital where Taylor had worked would need. One box of it however she didn't remember. It was a tarnished silver plated box with a fancy scrolled top and an old fashioned padlock. On the top Erin's name was engraved in elegant script. "I wonder what this is?" She mused aloud.
Maria glanced over. "It's probably your birth certificate and stuff. Who is this?" She held out a framed picture to Erin. There were two people in the photo. One was Taylor, the other was a young man Erin didn't recognize. He was handsome with blond hair and blue eyes. Looking more closely at the picture Erin realized her mother looked incredibly young in the photo.
"I don't know." Erin admitted.
"He's cute."
Erin rolled her eyes. "You have a boyfriend. Let's look on the back to see when it's from." Ignoring her, Erin used the tips of her nails to pry up the old backing. It finally fell out. On the back was written in bold, loopy script: "Taylor and Eric, 12/31/98" "Is anything else up there?" She asked.
"Yeah, another box. But it's already sealed."
"Ok. Put it with these boxes I packed last night. No, don't. I'll bring it with me to Salem." Erin took the silver box and the snapshot to her room. She stuffed it into the bag of her clothes. "Maria?"
"Yeah?" Her friend asked from the doorway.
"Here's your present." Erin handed her a brightly wrapped package.
Maria eagerly ripped of the paper. In side was a shirt box. Inside the box was a bottle of sun-in and a picture album. The sun-in was an inside joke. Around school and with her friends Maria was known as "the blond." Only problem being she wasn't blond. But, according to those who knew her best, she acted like one. Inside the album were pictures from their long friendship. The first was of them on the day Taylor and Erin had moved into the neighborhood. When she found out there was a girl next door her age Erin had run up to the door and asked her to play. On the same day they had sworn to be best friends for life. Taylor had taken the picture of the two girls hugging and smiling brilliantly at the camera. The last picture was from Maria's birthday the week before, Sept 4. "Thank you!" Maria looked about ready to cry. "My, our, Ryan and my, present for you is downstairs."
"You shouldn't have." Erin said. "I hope it isn't too big. I'm already bringing about seventeen years worth of memories and twice as many boxes to Salem. We're also bringing all the good furniture, the TV, VCR, stereo, computer, and all our knick knacks and pictures. Most of it already has to go to storage. I don't know how much we can fit."
"It isn't too big." Maria reassured Erin. "Come see." Erin followed her downstairs. Outside she saw the truck and her friends busily moving boxes. She turned away quickly, before she could see anything else. Maria led her to the kitchen. A bunch of people were taking a break and drinking lemonade. The unusually warm weather caused the teens to work up a sweat. Ryan was among the group. "Ok, Rye, go get the present." Maria said imperiously.
"If I didn't love you I wouldn't put up with this stuff." He grumbled as he got to his feet.
"But you do." Maria said smugly, teasingly.
"But I do." He agreed.
He left the room and reappeared a few seconds later with a kitten in his arms. Around its neck a red ribbon was tied. "Aw." She whispered. "It's adorable. Thank you so much!"
Maria smiled. Ryan blushed and looked at his shoes. Other friends soon came up to her with pet supplies. Someone instructed her on pet care while she stroked the kitten's tiny back. Eventually everyone left. She hugged, kissed cheeks, wrote down e-mail addresses and promised to write and tell everyone what 'that horrible place' was like. Eventually even Maria and Ryan had to leave for work. They exchanged tearful good byes. And then the only people left in the house were Brandon and Erin. Brandon came in and took the cat out of her arms. "We need to leave Rina Gina." Brandon said, softly.
"I know." Erin's eyes glittered with tears. "Can I just do one final walk through before we go?"
Brandon nodded. He left the house.
Erin walked from room to room, remembering special moments from each of them. Her last stop was Taylor's bedroom. "Goodbye Mommy. I want you to know I love you. I always did, even when I didn't act like it." Erin gave a watery laugh. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through. I've cleaned up my act and done everything that entails. I'll never forget you Mom. Never." Erin turned around and shut the door quietly. She walked quickly through the house. She joined Brandon in the car and sat down on the passenger side. She nodded at Brandon, unable to speak. He drove away. Erin closed her eyes so she wouldn't look back. Outside the city limits Erin opened her eyes. "Salem, I'm on my way." She declared. She leaned her head against the window.
Brandon gripped the wheel tightly, his eyes never leaving the road. "Good bye Tay." He whispered, hitting the accelerator. 'Hello Salem, Nikki, and Noelle.' He thought.
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