Heavenstone 01 - The Heavenstone Secrets

trucks began to arrive. Cassie, with the decorator, had planned a top-to-bottom renovation. There would be new flooring, new wallpaper, new curtains, new lighting fixtures, and then, even more shocking to me, an entirely new bedroom set. By now, every article of Mother’s clothing that Cassie had not taken had been given to charity, so her closetwas completely empty, but Cassie had the decorator redo the walls, floors, and drawers in that closet as well. I stood by and watched the parade of workers, electricians, even plumbers, because she was redoing some bathroom fixtures.
    I couldn’t believe how much was accomplished before the end of the day. When we sat down to dinner, I said so.
    “For the right price, you can get anything done, Semantha. Believe me, I made it worth their while. I wanted it to be completed by the time Daddy enters the house tomorrow.”
    “But why did you want to do all this, Cassie?”
    “Often, when a husband loses his wife or a wife loses her husband, there is a need to get away. The house has too many memories. It takes on the personality of the woman and the man living in it, their taste in everything. It’s painful for the bereaved survivor.
    “Now, Daddy could and would never leave this house, Semantha. This house is part of who and what we are, so I did the next-best thing for him. For him, it will be like moving into a different world, at least when he is alone in his bedroom. He won’t feel Mother’s presence so strongly and miss her so intensely.”
    She smiled as if she had come up with the most wonderful thing. While I understood her reasons, I didn’t feel as good as she did about it. I didn’t want Daddy to forget Mother so quickly, and I certainly didn’t want to forget her at all. Yes, it was painful to wake up every day and realize she was gone and thatI would never hear her voice, or feel her kiss on my cheek and her fingers caressing my hair. I wouldn’t have her smile to soothe me when I was unhappy or in pain. If anything, her passing made me feel more alone in this world than ever, even though I still had Daddy and Cassie. But that didn’t mean I wanted to find a way to get her out of my mind. I was sure Daddy didn’t, either.
    I wanted to say this to Cassie, but I could see how much it would hurt her. Once again, she would accuse me of not appreciating her and the good things she did and had done. Once again, she would make me feel ungrateful.
    “Do you understand?” she asked when I said nothing.
    “Yes, but it makes me feel bad, Cassie. I can’t help it.”
    “That’s all right. I feel bad, too, but I’m not thinking of myself. I’m thinking of Daddy. He has to go on, for himself and for us.”
    I nodded. I certainly didn’t want to feel selfish.
    “How do you know he’ll like what you and the decorator have done, Cassie?”
    “Why shouldn’t he like it? Everything was suggested by the same decorator Mother used. He knows Mother’s taste in things, a taste Daddy appreciated, and as it turns out, I have the same taste in most things.” She looked very annoyed at my question. “It’s not brain surgery,” she added sharply.
    “I’m sure you’ve chosen the right things,” I said. “I didn’t mean to say you didn’t.”
    She calmed and then smiled at me. “I do apologizefor not taking more interest in you and spending more time with you, Semantha. I know how hard it is for you now, too. How are you feeling? I mean, healthwise? Any problems, female problems, especially?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, young girls sometimes have little difficulties. Take your period, for example. Is it still regular? Because emotional trauma can have a serious effect on all that.”
    “Yes, I’m still regular. Remember? Mother used to say she could set a clock by me.”
    “I remember. As I recall, yours comes around the first of the month, doesn’t it?”
    “Yes, Cassie.”
    “So you should be having one any day now.”
    “I guess so,” I said.
    “Don’t guess so, Semantha. Take more interest in your body. I want you to let me know when it starts.”
    “Why?”
    “Just do. Can you do that?”
    “Yes, sure.”
    “Good. Now, let’s clean up and watch some television together. We haven’t done that in a long time.”
    “Okay,” I said. She was right. We hadn’t done much together for quite a while. Actually, I hadn’t seen Cassie in this good a mood for just as long. She and I worked side-by-side in the kitchen, and as we