Page 16 of Hibiscus Heights

His mother glanced back at him and shook her head. “I have no idea,” Kitty replied, picking up a gold filigree earring that had tumbled to the floor.

Smudges stained his mother’s usually pristine starched shirt, and strands of silver hair had escaped her clasp.

All morning, they had been sorting items into piles. Small piles to keep or give away and a larger one to donate. She had already consigned more valuable items, so there were blank spaces throughout the house.

This box was heavier than Grant expected. When he opened it, he saw that it was filled with old photo albums and loose photographs in faded color and black and white. His father’s love of photography had inspired Grant’s career from a young age.

His childhood home now seemed cavernous. Decades ago, his parents had built this sprawling estate in Tiburon, just north of San Francisco. Now, their footsteps echoed in rooms that had once bustled with family gatherings.

“Jock kept everything,” Kitty said. Her voice held love but also a trace of exasperation.

More than a year after his death, she was still sorting through her husband’s personal effects.

Grant could see that determining what to keep for the next phase of her life was nearly overwhelming for her. Yet, she plodded through with her usual perseverance.

She held up a faded photograph and smiled. “Look at this one. What good times we had on Crown Island. I hope your sister is enjoying herself. She did so much to help me around here.”

“Hey, I remember when this photo was taken,” Grant said.

In the faded image, the four of them stood at the railing of a red ferry. He and his sister were just kids, grinning with excitement. Their parents stood behind them, looking young and glamorous, even in their beachwear.

Kitty perched on the edge of his father’s favorite leather club chair. “What magical times we had on Crown Island. Some of my fondest memories are there.”

She started to say something else but stopped.

“What’s up, Mom?”

Kitty sighed and shook her head. “This house and all the contents are so much more than I need. I want to make a real change.”

“Those condos you’ve been talking about seem right for you.”

Kitty shrugged. “Now that I think about it, a little square box of white walls will be awfully dull. Where would I put all your nature photographs?”

Grant made a good living doing what he loved. “You’ll make it your own. Should be easy to keep clean, though.”

His mother raised an eyebrow. “When was the last time you ever saw me clean a house? I plan to die without ever having to scrub a toilet or mop floors again. I did plenty of that when I was young.”

Grant’s parents had started their life together on a modest budget before Jock founded what became a successful company.

As Kitty rested, she traced the edge of the photograph. “We’d stay at the Majestic when we wanted to be pampered. Sometimes we’d rent a beach house near the marina when we wanted to feel like locals.”

“You mean, when you could find a housekeeper.” Grant grinned at his mother.

“Well, of course,” she said. “What’s a vacation if you’re the one washing and cleaning and working harder than you do at home?”

“You have a point.”

“And your father indulged me, thank goodness. I wasn’t naturally domestic.”

“You helped him build the business.” They’d built a toy manufacturing company before selling it.

Her eyes brightened at the memory. “What fun we had doing that. Long hours, hard work, but it sure paid off.”

Grant smiled at his mother. Even today, she had a housekeeper who dusted the same shelves every week. Kitty kept her on for company and planned to give her a generous retirement package when the house sold.

“You had fun along the way. I remember Dad teaching us how to sail in the harbor. You made us wear life vests even when we thought we were too old for them.” Grant chuckled. “Now I do the same.”

His mother put a hand to her heart. “You two would tear around on bikes like demons, dive off the rocks, and surf when the waves were high.” Her smile grew wistful. “Then, when you were older, you stayed out late at beach bonfires.”

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