Why Lorie? Part II

Chapter 37: Time to Say Good-bye...

It was March 15, 1912 - exactly one month until Lorie's sixth birthday. She was staring out the train window as the landscape rapidly changed in front of her eyes. The only constant that had remained with her since she had left Paris the previous day, on the Orient Express, was the dismal rain that continued to streak across the fogged-up glass. It perfectly matched Lorie's mood that day. She glanced at her mother, who was sitting next to her. Josette looked pale and tired, as she leaned against the velvet headrest of her seat for support.

Lorie reached her hand out and placed it on top of Josette's:

"It's alright, Maman. We are almost home now," she whispered.

Josette managed to give her daughter a wan smile:

"Yes... finally," she replied, before closing her eyes once more.

Lorie's thoughts returned to the previous summer, when she had found out that her grandmother was terminally ill. Josette had returned to Vienna for a brief stay, and to help Lorie pack up her things. One week later, they both returned to Paris, leaving the Bartholy mansion behind. For once, Lorie had not argued with her mother — the terrible news hit her hard, and she saw how deeply affected Josette was as well. Even Viktor did not put up a fight to try and make them stay with him.

"I understand perfectly," he told Josette as he took her in his arms to comfort her. "Your mother needs you. We have the rest of our lives to be together."

"Thank you, Viktor," Josette gazed into his green eyes with much gratitude. "You can come visit us whenever you are able to."

"Of course. And I'm sure Peter would love to see both of you as well, from time to time," Viktor replied.

Lorie clung to her mother's hand during that entire trip from Vienna to Paris. Josette had finally told her everything: Grandpapa had died, and Grandmaman was very ill. There was no point in trying to hide the truth from Lorie anymore. She would have to face it sooner rather than later. Josette wanted her to be prepared... to the best of her ability. She asked Lorie to try and be brave around Grandmaman. The older woman already had too much on her plate. They were going to be her main support system for the next few months.

When they arrived at her grandparents' house in Paris, a grim-looking Simone opened the door and took their luggage upstairs. To Lorie's surprise, Grandmaman was up and around, and greeted them both with open arms and a smile on her face.

"My two favorite people in the whole world are here," Marianne Foret exclaimed when she saw them.

"Grandmaman!" Lorie threw herself into Marianne's arms, and instantly burst into tears of joy at seeing her... and of sorrow at missing her grandfather.

"Oh... my dear, sweet child," Grandmaman comforted her. "It's alright. See? I am perfectly capable of getting around and doing everything all by myself."

Lorie noticed the glance her grandmother exchanged with Josette, believing the little girl was unaware of it. In that one look, all of the real pain and sorrow that the two women were experiencing showed plain as day. Lorie didn't say anything, but tightened her grip around Grandmaman's waist, willing her own tears to stop. She did not want to add to Madame Foret's unhappiness by crying like a baby. She remembered Josette's request, and steeled herself as best she could.

"Guess what? You can stay in your old room," Madame Foret told Lorie. "I kept it just the same since the day you left. I think you will find some old friends in there."

Lorie climbed the stairs with a heavy heart, and opened the door to the bedroom she had spent her first few years of life in. Simone had obviously cleaned everything — it was all spick and span, and the furniture shined with fresh polish. Lorie caught a whiff of a lingering lemony scent from the cleaner used by the maid. The gauzy curtains were pulled back, and the afternoon sunshine bathed the whole place in a warm, soothing light.