Kelly had arrived home after nine in the evening. Grandmama was already upstairs in bed, but Rose was staying at the house that night so she’d still been up. She’d taken one look at Kelly and had immediately called Deanna to come over too, since there was obviously a crisis.
Kelly had tried to explain to her sisters what had happened, since she was too emotionally battered to hold anything back. She was really glad her sisters were both here, but she didn’t appreciate your sister’s blunt assessment of her situation.
“I’m not being stupid,” she said, taking off her glasses to rub at her eyes. She wasn’t really crying. She was more numb than anything else now. “I really don’t think I can do it. I can’t live the life he wants me to live. I can’t be the person he wants me to be.”
“He wants you to be his wife,” Rose said quietly. She’d always been milder than Deanna. “I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”
“Of course, it’s not unreasonable. But it’s not who I am. He wants me to live up north in Eden Manor. He wants me to leave Savannah and be an entirely different person. It’s not who I am.”
Deanna was frowning, clearly trying to understand. “I thought you’d always wanted to run a B&B or something like that. Isn’t that what you always talked about?”
“Yes, but not in North Georgia. Not as Mrs. Blake. Not when it means I have to leave...everything.”
Rose and Deanna were both silent for a minute, looking between each other and Kelly. Then finally Deanna’s face cleared, as if she had come to an epiphany. “Oh my God, Kelly! You are just like Grandmama!”
Kelly gasped and stiffened her shoulders. “I am not!”
“Yes, you are,” Deanna said, almost laughing now. “You are so exactly like her. You’re afraid of things changing. You want to stay safe in a familiar world that feels secure to you. Why do you think Grandmama surrounds herself with all these dusty old collections and refuses to give up the Pride? She doesn’t want anything to change. And that’s exactly what you’re doing too.”
“I am not,” Kelly said, frowning. “It’s totally different. I don’t stuff my dead pets or anything. I just want to stay in Savannah and be who I’ve always been. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing is wrong with it,” Rose said, more gently than her sister. “It’s totally understandable. And, if it was what you really wanted, then we’d completely support you. But I don’t think it’s really what you want. I think you’re using it as an excuse, because you’re afraid of doing what you really want. You want to be with Peter. You’ll never convince me that you don’t. You want to try something new, something risky, something that would stretch you in ways you’re not normally stretched. But you’re afraid. It’s normal. I don’t blame you. But it’s not like you to let fear keep you from doing what you want.”
“It’s not just that. I’m happy here. I’ve been…I’ve always been happy. And I love Grandmama and both of you so much. I don’t want to leave. What if it’s…what if it’s not as good?”
Deanna’s expression changed. She wasn’t laughing anymore. “You were so little when Mom and Dad died,” she began, slightly hoarse.
“What?” Kelly blinked, not following the change in topic but affected emotionally just the same.
“You were little. You probably don’t even remember them.”
“Not much. Just…just flashes.”
“I remember them. I was ten. I remember what it was like when our whole world fell apart, and we had to completely start again with Grandmama. Our new life was completely different, but we made it into something good. Even with all the strangeness, we’ve been happy.”
Kelly nodded, her throat too tight to speak. Rose brushed a tear away.
“But things always change. And that usually means there’s some loss. But you’ll have something to replace it. You’ll have Peter. And you’ll have this brand new project to pour yourself into, doing what you’ve always wanted. That’s what you really want to do, isn’t?”
Kelly nodded again. Of course, Deanna was right. She was usually right about everything. “But Grandmama…”
Rose leaned forward. “You’ve taken care of her for years, and you’ve taken care of this house. We know she relies on you, but she wants the best for you, just like we do. We can figure something else out.”
“She can’t be alone.”
“She won’t be alone,” Deanna said. “We can hire someone to stay with her.”