Restoring the Past

Chapter 1 Thirteen years was a long time to stay away from home. Cal hadn’t been back to his father’s house since he was nineteen and running away from his first broken heart. Pride, fear, and habit had kept him from coming back, instead choosing to fly Dad to him for visits, or springing for vacations to places Dad would never otherwise visit. His dad had never called him on what they both knew was the coward’s way out, but Cal could sense the older man’s disappointment. Now Dad was gone, buried next to Cal’s mom, and it fell to Cal to settle the estate. There wasn’t much; most of Dad’s retirement savings had gone to pay medical bills and home healthcare. The house, which was solely in Dad’s name despite Cal’s urging otherwise, probably wouldn’t amount to much. As he walked through the ramshackle old A-frame, Cal realized the house was as much a victim of his stubbornness as anything else. Dad had insisted he was able to take care of everything up until near the end, when he became too sick. Based on his quick walkthrough, Cal saw that clearly wasn’t the case. Faded paint, peeling wallpaper, and carpets that looked like they hadn’t been cleaned properly in years attested to all the surface issues. There was water damage that likely pointed to something much more serious. His bedroom looked like a sad shrine to the late nineties. Thirteen years hadn’t seemed like a long time while Cal was busy living his life; now that he was back, it seemed like a lifetime. Dad had kept his illness from Cal as long as he could, insisting he was fine. Cal had barely made it back in time to say his goodbyes. In the four days since he’d been back, he hadn’t had time to do much besides finalize the funeral details. His father hadn’t wanted anything elaborate—just a small wake and graveside service. In typical Dad fashion, he thought funeral directors were just trying to gouge people when they were least prepared to handle it, so he’d had everything set up well beforehand. After the service, which consisted of only the immediate family and a few close friends, Cal’s Aunt Sue had insisted everyone come back to her house for a small luncheon. Cal was thankful for the effort; he was exhausted and just wanted to go home, even if his home was temporarily the room he grew up in. Dad’s death made Sue and her family Cal’s only surviving relatives; he’d never met his mom’s family. “I just want you to know how terribly sorry we are for your loss.” Ed, Dad’s best friend, poker buddy, and lawyer offered his condolences. Ed and his wife, Eileen, had been a tremendous help in assisting Cal with the last-minute arrangements and decisions, offering suggestions and providing general emotional support. Cal started to respond when Bert, Aunt Sue’s only child, interrupted. “Why? It’s not like Cal ever cared enough to even be around when Uncle Cliff was sick. He dumped all of that on us.” “Bert, now’s not the time.” Cal had been expecting this, but had been hoping it wouldn’t take place in front of everyone who’d come to pay their respects. But Bert didn’t know when to shut his mouth, especially when he’d been drinking. “I appreciate everything you did for Dad, and I know he did, too.” “Appreciate? You’d better appreciate it.” Bert took another swig of his drink, which was probably more whiskey than soda. “He was going to put me in his will, you know. Said I deserved it for taking care of him when you were too busy.” Cal resisted the urge to grit his teeth. “I haven’t seen the will yet.” He was sure Dad would have mentioned it if he’d made changes; Cal had been sole heir for years. Of course, given the state of the house and how rapidly Dad had declined, it was obvious he hadn’t been completely honest with Cal for a long time. “Why don’t you ask your lawyer? He’s standing right there. What’s the will say, Ed?” Bert gestured, causing himself to sway slightly. Uncle Gavin jumped in before Ed could answer. He gripped Bert’s shoulder to stop the swaying. “Bert, son, we can talk about all that later. I know your uncle wanted you compensated for everything you did, and I’m sure it will all be handled fairly, won’t it, Cal?” Cal frowned before he could stop himself. “Of course, Uncle Gavin.” “Cal and I will sit down with the will next week. Until then, there’s nothing to discuss.” Ed placed a comforting hand on Cal’s arm. “Right now, we’re all more concerned with supporting Cal through today.” Gavin and Ed’s intervention only managed to stop Bert’s tirade momentarily. “You know what fair would be? That big old house that’s going to sit empty or get sold off to the highest bidder.” “I said we would talk about it later, son.” There was a slight edge underneath Uncle Gavin’s calm tone, but Cal had never seen Gavin have much success in corralling Bert. Linda, Bert’s wife, piped up from across the room. “We need to talk about it sooner rather than later. Bert and I deserve our share of the estate, what with the hard times Bert’s run into.” Cal knew “hard times” was a euphemism for alcohol-induced unemployment, but was polite enough not to say so. “We?” Bert shouted in surprised. “You mean me. Or do you plan to spend through my inheritance as fast as you spend through my paychecks?” Linda laughed derisively. “You haven’t had a paycheck in months. Hell, your paychecks hardly cover the bills; it’s not like I could go out and buy something nice for myself.” Liquid sloshed over Bert’s hand as he gestured. “There’s a closet full of clothes you don’t ever wear that says different.” Cal tried to disappear into the wall. Everyone in the room was pretending not to watch, but the low murmur of conversation had ground to a halt. He knew his family was dysfunctional, but he had been expecting them to be on their better behavior today. Being away so long helped him forget just what a scene they could make. Leave it to Bert and Linda to crank up the drama and make it all about themselves. He wondered if a brawl would break out. Aunt Sue followed Cal to the corner he was hiding in. “Cal, you can see how difficult things are for Bert and Linda. Your father promised he’d do everything he could to help them.” She sounded like she was full of concern for everyone’s well-being, but Cal knew she had ulterior motives. He also knew now wasn’t the time to say what he really thought. “I’m sure he did, Aunt Sue, but I don’t think there’ll be much left after Dad’s healthcare expenses are taken care of.” “Calvin, we both know your father was well off. He stayed in that house almost until he died, so I know those expenses weren’t very much. He wouldn’t even pay for a full-time nurse, just put it all on poor Bert. It’s lucky he was here to take care of your father.” Bert and Linda continued to yell at each other while Sue tried to guilt trip Cal. “I’m not sure where you got the idea he was well off. Unless he was hiding money I don’t know about, there’s not much left. The insurance all went to the funeral.” “You have that big house. Can you imagine how much having a place like that would help Bert and Linda?” Her tone changed effortlessly from concerned to commanding. “You really should think about what you owe your family, Calvin.” Forcing himself to appear respectful, Cal answered, “I know, Aunt Sue. I owe all of you for helping take care of Dad. You know I would have been here if he’d told me how sick he was. I just need some time to sort through everything.” “Well, see that you do.” Sue turned her attention back to the gathering, obviously having picked up on Cal’s subtle reminder that, regardless of his own lack of involvement, no one in the family had bothered to tell him Dad was as far gone as he was. Bert and Linda seemed to have taken their argument into the kitchen; Cal guessed that’s where Bert’s booze was stashed. Sometimes he felt sorry for his aunt and uncle. Gavin was a nice guy, always trying to be helpful and keep the peace, but his efforts to curb Sue’s habit of spoiling Bert fell drastically short. Of course, as crass and belligerent as he was, Bert had at least stuck around, unlike Cal. Cal sighed and took a sip of his now-cold coffee.