Family is Forever (Sequel to Running on Insulin)

Chapter 47

Samantha was silent on the way back to the car, and during the drive home. When we pulled into the driveway, we had to pull her from wherever she'd daydreamed off to on the drive home.

"I'm going to go upstairs," she said, flatly. We let her go, but looked worriedly at each other.

"What do we do?" I asked.

"About what?" Jenna asked me.

"I don't know," I said.

I looked up the stairs, wondering what Samantha was thinking.

I went into my office and called my business manager. I explained the situation and about the check. He agreed to help us figure out what to do with Samantha's money, and would help us find the appropriate way to invest the money for her.

"I don't want to leave Samantha too long by herself," Jenna said, as I came out of my office.

"I know," I said. "I don't either, but let's give her a minute to herself. She's got a lot to think through."

"Did you call Chris?" Jenna asked.

"Yeah, I did. I want to invest the money for Sam, but let her have access to it if she wants or needs. I mean, I know the will said it's for us to use in raising her, but if it's our choice what to do with it, I want her to be able to access it for something special. Or even if she wants to go shopping with friends one day, she doesn't have to worry about having cash accessible."

"That's a lot of money for a 13-year-old," Jenna said.

"I don't mean she'd have access to the whole $250K. I just mean, it's there for her to use. If she wants to get herself a new computer, or something, she'll have the money when she wants it."

Jenna sighed. I knew she worried what the money would mean to Samantha.

"I'm going to go talk to her," I said.

"Okay. Call me if you need me. I'm going to start dinner," Jenna said.

"Okay."

I walked up the stairs and knocked on Samantha's door.

"Come in," she said, somewhat quietly.

"Hey, sweetheart," I said, going into her room and seeing her lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, her phone on her chest.

"Hi," she said.

I sat down on her bed and leaned over her.

"How are you doing?"

She shrugged.

"I can't help but think there's something we missed. Or that the lawyer missed, or something. I mean, Stanley hated me. He made that clear from pretty much the day I was born."

"I know. Mom and I are as shocked as you are. Just so you know, I called my business manager, Chris. You'll meet him eventually. We're going to put that money away for you, but you'll have access to it if you want it. You know, if you go shopping with your friends or whatever. We'll get a limit set on a bank card for you, but you'll have access to it."

"Stanley said it was for you to use to raise me."

"I know. But really, it's your money. We have enough to use to 'raise' you," I smiled at her.

"I don't know if I want it," Samantha said.

"What do you mean? You have enough now to go to college, and start your life off right. Most kids don't have that opportunity. I mean, you would have had that opportunity with us anyway, because we would do that for you, but now, you have your own money."

"But Stanley made my life a living hell. Especially after my mom died," she said.

"All the more reason for you to have that money. Not as a reminder or an apology from Stanley, but instead something for you to use to make up for the life he denied you. If that makes sense."

Samantha looked at me and shrugged.

"I guess so," she said.

"Now, you don't have to have an answer for this now, but what are you thinking about the house?"

"Sell it," she said shortly. "I don't ever want to set foot in that house again. I'll never live in it, ever. I don't have a lot of good memories in that house. And the ones I have of my mom, they're starting to fade."

She started crying a little. I pulled her up into a seated position and put my arms around her. She wrapped her arms around me and cried on my shoulder for a few minutes. When she was done she pulled away a bit and looked at me.

"But I mean it. I want to sell the house. But, if you can go there, can you get the picture of my mom taped to the bottom of my desk drawer in my old room?"

"Sure. That's all?"

"That's all I want from that house."

"Okay. Done. Now, Mom's making dinner. Want to come downstairs, set the table and we can eat?"

"Okay," she said, getting up. I put my arm around her, pulled her close and kissed her on the head. She smiled up at me a little bit.

We headed downstairs.

Jenna smiled at Samantha as we came into the kitchen.

"Hi sweetheart. How are you doing?" she asked.

Samantha shrugged and went to get plates from the cupboard and cutlery from the drawer. She went to set the table. Jenna looked at me, worriedly.

"She's fine," I said to her quietly. "Really. She's okay."

"I was worried she wasn't talking again," Jenna said.

"Oh, no. We talked upstairs. She's feeling pretty conflicted about the money," I said.

"No doubt. So am I," Jenna said.

I shrugged. All of us were feeling strange about the money. It was becoming a burden over our heads. We'd have to figure out how to come to terms with the fact that Stanley had left his entire estate to Samantha, after years of torturing her and barely keeping her alive.

Once Jenna had finished making dinner, we all sat down. Samantha tested her sugar, showed us the number and then calculated her carbs and insulin. Her blood sugar was a little low, owing probably to the fact that she hadn't had an afterschool snack, and everything that had occurred today.

"So," Jenna said to Samantha as we started eating. "How was school today? Any homework?"

Samantha looked at Jenna.

"You know what?" she said. "I actually don't know. I had a hard time concentrating today. I'll have to see if I wrote anything down."

"I bet. But yes, let's check that after dinner, okay?"

Samantha nodded.

We chatted amicably otherwise, talking about the coming week and what Samantha knew for sure was going on.

"Hey," I said. "I have an idea."

"Uh oh," Samantha joked.

"I was thinking, for Spring Break, why don't we go to California and visit Josh and Brendon and Sarah. And Zack and Kala since they pretty much seem to be together a lot anyway."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Jenna said. "Sam, what do you think?"

"Would we have to fly?" she asked.

"It would be faster," I said.

She got quiet.

"Is that a problem, Sam?"

"I've never been on a plane before," she said.

"You're going to love it," I said.

She didn't look so sure, but the three of us decided that maybe a trip to California would be a great idea for Spring Break. It would literally be Samantha's first vacation ever.