Page 67 of Inevitable Secrets

“But your mother was not going to let him get away with that. He accused her of chasing money, and I remember she said to him, ‘If that was the case, Cedric, I would have gotten on my knees when you told me who you were, don’t you think? I love you, Cedric, I do, but like a brother. Not like how I feel about Grant. I am in love with Grant. I am sorry I never had feelings for you, but I told you I didn’t. I was trying to figure out how not to hurt you, but hiding how I feel about Grant has only made it worse. Look what I have done! I have divided you and your family!’

“And then she left.”

“Wait, what?” Taylor asked, “She left?”

Nan nodded. “Yes. She left, and that broke both Cedric and Grant. She told them they needed to work this out because she wouldn’t break up a family. Grant begged her to stay, but she said she couldn’t come between them anymore. Weeks went by, and the two brothers wouldn’t even look at each other. Grant stopped coming to the house almost all together, and if he did stop by one would leave if the other walked in.”

“And then your grandmother had enough,” Nan proclaimed, laughing at the recollection. “Oh, I miss that woman, Taylor, she ran this ship so well. It was rocky seas after she was gone,” Nan said. “Anyway, your grandmother sent them both away, had them dropped off in the middle of nowhere one night, alone together in the woods. Just camping supplies and an order to work it out like men.

“So Grant and Cedric went away, camped and hiked, spent time together. And when they came home, Cedric apologized to your mother. I thought at first it was him being the peacemaker, relenting and giving in to his brother. And I am sure that was part of it, but mostly I believe he was trying to make Elizabeth happy. I don’t think he could live with the idea of her not being in his life at all. And he knew Grant made her happy. And that is what Cedric always did—whatever it took to make people happy.”

“But it changed Cedric,” Nan explained. “He was never the same after that. That light was gone from his eyes, from his face. He brightened really only in Elizabeth’s presence, and it was awful to watch the mix of emotions in his eyes. Soon after her return, your mother and father got engaged. Cedric said he was happy, told them all the right words, but he didn’t mean it. When your parents married, he was miserable. To his credit, though, he stayed sober.”

Taylor now thought of the other picture displayed on the Fletcher walls, the one of a sour-looking Cedric. It all became clear.

“Do you know when he went back to using?”

“Well, his personality was so different after the fallout with your mum and dad happened, it really is hard to say,” Nan said, hesitating. Taylor could tell there was more, and had it been anyone else she would have gone into her no-nonsense business approach, laying down the hammer and making them talk. But she was never going to do that to Nan. “But,” Nan finally said, nodding a bit, “when your Mum announced she was pregnant, well, he did not take it well.”

Taylor thought back to how harsh Cedric was to her, how crazy he was. “So he started using because of me,” Taylor said flatly. “Great, he despised me from the womb.”

“No, Taylor,” Nan said sweetly, “he despised the fact that your parents had the life he wanted, and your father had the woman he wanted. But when you were born, Taylor, he was overjoyed. He came alive again, it was like a small bit of the old Cedric had come back,” Nan said, smiling.

Taylor felt an odd rush of relief at that news.

“He tried to ignore you at first, but it was your father who handed you to him, and I swear he fell in love with you,” Nan said. “I had the pleasure of watching it all happen. It was beautiful. You were their olive branch,” Nan said.

“Then what happened,” Taylor asked, “because he didn’t stay that way.” Her eyes welled a bit in frustration.

Nan looked out of answers. “I really don’t know, Taylor. He was here and happy and bright. And then, well, then he just wasn’t. I don’t…” Nan stopped herself and held up a finger. “Wait here,” she said and then took off.

Taylor wished someone else was there with her so that she could try and talk out what the hell had just happened. Instead, she pushed her palms into her eyes and sat there alone. Two minutes passed, five minutes passed, it was approaching on the ten-minute mark and she was about to go and find Nan herself when she returned with a large manila envelope.

Nan was winded. “This was hard to find,” she announced shaking the envelope at Taylor.

“What is it?” Taylor asked, taking the envelope from Nan.

“Cedric mailed this to me. I got it about a week before he went to be with the Lord,” Nan said as she gave the envelope to Taylor. “There is another envelope inside and it has a note to give it to you, Taylor. I was so confused as I had not seen you in years. Then when you came back, things were in such disarray for you, I honestly forgot I had it,” Nan explained, and then shrugged. “And maybe a little bit of me thought it wasn’t the time for you to see it,” Nan confessed.

Taylor peeked inside the envelope, sure enough finding another, very well-taped envelope inside. Taylor looked up and gave Nan a smile, and then closed the space and hugged the older woman tightly.

“This life has been much too hard for a sweet woman like you,” Nan muttered over Taylor’s head.

Taylor nodded, but she was hopeful she was getting closer to what would make it easier.

* * *

Derrick waitedin his room for Taylor to come back from talking to Nan. He looked around his childhood bedroom and heaved out a sigh. He missed his space, he missed having a place that was his own, but he was glad that, in this instance, living at Fletcher Mansion was helpful for Taylor.

The door suddenly swung open and took his attention away from his floating thoughts.

“He left me this envelope,” Taylor stated as she walked into the room. She opened the envelope she held and pulled out another. The second one was wrapped in wide, clear tape, wrapped multiple times over. Taylor turned the rectangle around looking for an entry point. “Got scissors?” she asked.

Derrick had no idea, but he went to the desk in the room, rifled through the drawers, and lo and behold, found a pair.

Taylor cut the tape, reached in, and removed yet another envelope, this one white and letter-sized. She opened this one with ease, since it was sans tape and she just had to lift the flap, removing a single sheet of paper.

“What is that? Derrick asked, as Taylor’s eyes scanned it.

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