Reborn: The Allies of Old (Book One)

Chapter Three

When they arrived at Anna's house the girls busied themselves getting ready for the party.

They were having a pre-graduation bash since they wouldn't be around long after the momentous day-and because Anna's dad was not at home her abode was the logical choice.

Anna brushed a hand over a picture of her father as she made her way to her bedroom to change.

As a photojournalist Marty Preston had once spent most of his time in the remote areas of the world, a lifestyle that had abruptly changed when he'd met Anna's mother Emma. For sixteen years he had stayed local to be with his little family, until three years earlier when an accident had taken Emma's life and he'd become a shell of the man he once was. In the months following the accident he had tried to be there for Anna, but after awhile it had become apparent that he was more dead than alive. So he'd re-established some old connections and went back to working all over the globe. At sixteen years of age she had been able to care for herself, but it was still hard, she often felt as if she'd lost both parents instead of only one.

It was lucky for her that her mom had been the kind of person who believed that life was not a given and had taught her to expect the unexpected and deal with all that came her way with optimism. "It's all in how we perceive it Anna Banana," she would say, "if your house burns down you can be devastated by the loss or excited at the prospect of building something new. Personally I strongly believe in the latter, and that my darling is how I expect you to live-with great hope and a sense of possibility, always seeking the light at the end of the tunnel or a glimpse of the sun breaking through the clouds. Because believe me there will be plenty of cloudy days. You can wish the rain would go away, or you can dance in it." And the two of them had danced in the rain often in her young life, both literally and figuratively. She missed her mom desperately but refused to give in to the grief, wanting to honor her life and memory by following her advice. She often wondered if somewhere deep down her mother had known that she would be taken early, if perhaps she'd lived and believed the things she did because of it. She also wondered if her mom would approve of the trip she was taking.

Shortly after her mother's death she'd learned that the grandparents she had never known had been deliriously wealthy and had left every penny of their vast inheritance to her. George and Karen Tyler had been bluebloods, coming from "old money" and when their only child had decided to marry "beneath" her they'd all but disowned her. Apparently they had completely changed their position once Anna had come into the picture, but right before her second birthday a sailing accident had claimed their lives and a reading of the will had named her their sole heir.

The money had been held in a trust by her mom until her death, then it had transferred to Anna's father who wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. He had immediately hired a financial manager and the moment Anna turned eighteen it had been transferred to her. Her dad had simply said "It's yours by birthright sweetheart, it's more than enough to keep you living large for the rest of your days. Just try and always keep in mind that money isn't everything. I trust I've trained you well as to the important things in life, I'm sure for you it will only make life sweeter."

After that brief little pep talk he hadn't spoken of it again, and when she'd tried to ask him for advice on spending he'd simply shaken his head and shrugged. The financial manager had a lot to say about it on the other hand, but he was so boring and practical she ended up deciding she would figure things out as she went.

Her first big spending spree had occurred the previous summer when she and the girls had rented an R.V. and toured the country. They had alternately stayed in campsites and fancy hotels making for an incredible experience, and it was during that trip that they had begun planning this one.