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“It’s weird being here while I’m on leave,” Maura Allen-Fallaci said.
"Any idea when you're going to rejoin the firm and start practicing law again?” Hayley asked.
“You ask like I have a choice. Mom just finished a grueling round of chemo. Dad’s not here, in case you forgot, so I’m her primary caretaker,” Maura said. “I’m also a wife and mother.”
“I didn’t forget. How could I when you remind me at least once a day?” Hayley shot back. “Aren’t both kids away at college?”
“They’ll be coming home for summer, and I’m busy getting their rooms ready. I’m sure you remember that even though you were away, you relied on Mom a lot. I have a lot going on, and I grieve for Dad when I have a chance, but haven't had the time to even get that done. People need me, and I can’t just abandon them.”
“I don’t live in your world, and you shouldn’t assume it’s any less hectic than mine,” Hayley said.
“I’m sorry, Hayley. We shouldn’t argue at a time like this, and my fuse has been shorter than usual. I feel bad for David because he has to put up with me.”
“No worries and I’m sorry, too. I know taking care of Mom is a 24/7 job. What do you think Donald Parish wants with us?” Hayley asked.
“I don’t know, and David doesn’t know either. Donald told him it was a sensitive matter and only he could discuss it with the two of us,” Maura said.
Maura and Hayley had lost their father two years ago. Bill Allen had died in an explosion on the oil rig where he worked. He was a lead engineer who made decent money and had left everything with their mother, Lisa. The twin girls had been summoned by Donald Parish to the firm where Maura and her husband David worked.
“I’m thinking maybe Dad had another bank account that wasn’t found at first. We all agree that twenty-five years at the oil company would have allowed him to save a lot more,” Hayley said. "If he were alive, I'd ask him why the heck he didn't invest in their company’s 401K. This will give us final closure, and you’ll be able to turn the page.”
“I hope that he did have extra money socked away. You and I don’t need the extra money, but Mom could use it. She has outstanding health insurance, but there are still significant out-of-pocket costs,” Maura said as she looked around, wondering where the heck Donald was.
Being in the office made Maura miss work and the distraction it provided. David was always telling her that they could afford a home health aide for her mother, but the guilt she would feel would be overwhelming. David was patient beyond compare because even Maura knew she was significantly changed by her father’s death. She was easily bothered and stopped participating in things they liked to do together. She no longer went mountain biking or hiking. Their two children were college students at different schools in Massachusetts, and they looked forward to long, lazy road trips to visit them. Those hadn’t happened.
Donald walked into the conference room and gave Maura a big bear hug. She had made the firm a lot of money, and he considered Maura the future of Paris and Rose Law.
“How is my star corporate law attorney?” Donald asked.
“Good, and seeing this place again makes me look forward to the day when I’m back here. Have you met my sister Hayley?” Maura asked.
“I may have seen you at your Dad’s service. I knew the two of you were twins, so I was searching for your look-alike,” Donald said.
“I know we hardly look like sisters, let alone twins, except for the coloring. We aren’t much alike, so it would be odd if we looked the same. We’re dying to hear why you called us here. All we know is that it involves our Dad and that it’s a sensitive matter.”
“Have a seat, ladies. I think you’re going to need one. I know how close you were to your father, so this will come as a shock to you. I know your mother is in poor health, and you can decide together if or when to tell her,” Donald said.
They sat at the conference table with a view of downtown Syracuse, NY. Maura was more nervous than when she arrived. Donald was in his late sixties, and there was nothing he hadn’t seen, but this seemed to have him rattled.
"Your father has left each of you a one-third stake in a beach house he owned,” he started to explain.
“The only beach we ever went to with our parents was at the Finger Lakes at a place called the Cottages. It was clear that we couldn’t afford a beach house, and none of us complained,” Maura said.
“It’s in Maryland, and here’s a photograph.” Donald placed a photo in front of each girl and let it sink in what they partially owned.
“This isn’t a small beach cottage with no central heating and a moss-covered roof. This looks like the Kennedy compound,” Hayley said.
“There must be some mistake. Did you vet the person who brought this to you?” Maura asked.
“You know me better than to ask that. I spoke with him several times and went over the story with a fine-toothed comb,” Donald replied.
“I didn’t mean to insult you. This is good news because we inherited a house, and I assume my mother inherited the other third. Is that why you found it so difficult?” Maura asked. “It would have been assumed that our mother had inherited the whole thing.”
“No, I’ve told you the easiest part of this,” Donald said, and he cleared his throat.
Hayley leaned forward, her red, chin-length bob falling in her face. “I’m listening.”
