ALL ACCESS

Chapter 4

After signing my name to numerous legal documents, it was official that I would receive a monthly stipend wired to my bank account in California. The remaining amount would go to the account on my twenty-first birthday. The attorney gave me two bank checks, one for ten thousand dollars to take with me to California, and the other for three thousand dollars to cover expenses while I was here in Massachusetts. I only needed to send him an expense report every month and save receipts. I could do that.

Jules and I celebrated my newfound riches by going to lunch at the expensive Hawthorne-by-the-Sea restaurant in Swampscott. We had a corner spot overlooking the ocean and ordered steamers and shrimp Rockefeller while we waited for our baked stuffed lobsters which, when served, were out of this world. When the heaven-on-wheels dessert bar rolled by, smacking of ultimate decadence, I had to partake by ordering the chocolate raspberry truffle. The dark chocolate and hint of raspberry liquor had me almost lapping the plate. Jules always wanted to try Dom Perignon. A bottle of that stuff had definitely been out of either of our budgets, but not today. We ordered two bottles and drank them straight away. We laughed until our sides hurt over everything. Most of the high-brow guests were annoyed with us but we two hippy chicks didn't care. We ate and drank like beautiful queens.

We both felt like the over-stuffed lobsters we just ate and decided a stroll along Lynn's King's Beach towards Red Rock was in order. The water, for a change, was clear and blue, not that dirty foul stuff that permeated the beach during the dead of summer. New England is beautiful in spring, I would miss this time of year. Jules and I stopped at the first staircase near Red Rock and sat on the cement wall overlooking the water. I smiled as I remembered jumping from that particular staircases' high wall when I was twelve with Jules and Michelle. We all held hands and when the high tide waves pushed off the concrete seawall to return to the ocean we made our jump. Looking at the sheer height of it now, it occurred to me we could've seriously been hurt. What were we thinking? I turned my head and smiled at Jules wondering if she ever recalled that day. I was going to ask but then remembered in all the excitement she never did tell me what her Aunt said.

"Hey! So you never told me what your Aunt said about your dad. Is he sick?"'

"Yes and no."

Jules rested her chin on her hands and looked out at the ocean. The sparkling light in her eyes from earlier seemed to be snuffed out now. "How bad is he?"

"He's not. He's just a jerk."

I watched as she squinched and wrinkled her nose, something she did when annoyed and thinking about how to handle a situation. She did it quite frequently when it had to do with her dad. "What'd he do?"

"My Aunt said Dad has a stomach parasite and that's why he's lost so much weight. He's on meds for it now but it takes time to get rid of. He'll be fine."

"Well, that's good news."

"Yeah but..." She turned her head and looked at me. "Jess, he let me think he was dying. He wanted me to move home. Said children were supposed to take care of their ailing parents – them's God's rules - I needed to stop living with the devil. I almost went home but..." She wrinkled her nose again and looked away. "Aunt Barb says to go to California and live my life. Get away from him and his ways. Forget about here. She says you have the right idea. Start over. I want to but I feel awkward having you front me cash. I know you offered and all but I feel funny."

"Hey, hey, hey. Stop that. You're my bestest friend, my sister. What good is money if you can't help those you love? My parents left me the money to help and I'm sure they would want me to help you. You've done so much for me, Jules. This is the least I can do. You and I won't worry about cash. I will help you – it's what family does ya know?"