The Complete Legacy Series: Books 1 - 6 Read online

  It might have been better for Arianna, she supposed, because she could have forgiven her mother to her face, perhaps giving her that peace that she doubted her mother had had before she died. Her heart broke a little as she thought about the last exchange she’d had with her parents before they left. It was a typical argument and this time they’d been arguing about Arianna’s big trip that her father had already paid for, but didn’t truly support. She had argued fiercely for what she wanted and she’d gotten her way, probably because of the guilt that they felt and would carry to their grave. She sighed. She couldn’t do anything about that now except forgive them for herself. And she had. She truly had. Now it was only about moving forward with the things that she did have control over.

  Arianna went to bed that night after a phone conversation with Blu. She’d called her in near hysterics during a moment of fever-induced panic, and poor Blu didn’t know what to do on the other end of the line from where she worked behind the bar. Finally, able to take a quick break and calm Arianna down, Blu was able to get a cohesive conversation out of her.

  “Blu, I need you,” Arianna sobbed on the other end of the line.

  “Ari, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me. Shall I come?” Even in Arianna’s state, she could make out the panic in her best friend’s voice and immediately felt guilty for it.

  “No, I’m sorry. It’s—it’s just I think I need to spend time with you, Blu. Tomorrow. And Jemma. I need to see J-bean.” Arianna sobbed on the other end of the phone, waiting through the silence at what must have been Blu’s panic on the other end.

  “Yes, Ari. Of course. I’ll get off work tomorrow. I’ll bring Jemma. We’ll spend the day together. Maybe I’ll let Jemma go to daycare in the morning so you and I can have a bit of time alone together, okay?” Arianna could hear that Blu was fighting back tears herself.

  “Blu, can you help me in the morning? I want to go into the city—one last time. I can’t drive. Will you come get me? Take me in the convertible? I need to go to Douglas’s to take care of some last things.”

  “Ari, I’m sure Douglas could come to you. Do you want me to call him? Maybe you should stay at home in bed. Can I talk to Gigi? Is the nurse there?” Blu’s voice rose a little higher with each question.

  “Yes, Gigi and the nurse are both downstairs. I’m okay. They are checking on me.” She heard a slight sigh of what she guessed was relief on Blu’s end.

  “Okay, and Douglas? Shall I call him to come to you tomorrow? Ari, I’m sure that he would.”

  “No, I—I really want to go into the city tomorrow.” Arianna’s voice grew very quiet. “One last time over the bridge in my car, you know?” She couldn’t stop the sob that escaped her as she said the words. “I’m sorry, Blu. I don’t mean to be so heavy. I don’t. I know it’s a lot…” she trailed off.

  “Ari. Don’t you apologize to me.” Blu’s voice was firm and steady. Arianna imagined the look that she’d seen when Blu seemed determined not to crack under pressure. “Listen, I gotta go now because the boss is giving me a look, but I’ll get off all day tomorrow and I’ll be over at nine o’clock after I drop Jemma off at daycare, okay? We’ll pick her up again after the meeting with Douglas. Does that sound good? Ari, are you there?” Arianna’s eyes fluttered open and she realized that it was her turn to speak into the phone.

  “I’m sorry, Blu. I’m so tired. It’s the medicine. Yeah. That sounds good. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Okay, Ari. Get some sleep. See you tomorrow.”

  “And Blu—I—I love you, Blu.”

  She had already hung up. Arianna clicked off her phone, rolled over, and went into the deep sleep that her body was craving.

  Chapter 38

  Arianna was still sleeping the next morning when Gigi let Blu into the house and led her up to the bedroom. Gigi knocked lightly on her door before letting herself in, followed by Blu, who went straight to the curtains to open them. The morning sunlight along with Gigi’s gentle stirring brought Arianna out of a deep sleep.

  She tried to sit up, and Blu went to help her while Gigi left to fill her water glass and let the nurse know that she was awake.

  “Wake up, sleepy head.” Blu gently rubbed Arianna’s back. “How are you feeling?”

  Arianna wiped her hands across her eyes as if doing so would bring her to a new level of being awake that she didn’t feel. “What time is it? God, I’ve slept too late. And man, I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. Or a tornado. Wow, worse than any hangover I’ve ever had.” She tried to laugh but doing so hurt too much. “In my dreams, this would only be a hangover that some food and a long sleep would cure, right?”

  Blu nodded and moved her hand to hold Arianna’s in her own. “Do you still want to go into the city? We don’t have to, you know. Gigi said that she’d talked to Douglas earlier and he’s happy to come over here.” Blu grinned and whispered so that Gigi wouldn’t hear. “Between you and me, I think she’d love to have his company here this afternoon too.”

  “I heard that.” Gigi said in what sounded like a stern voice, but one not hidden beneath an undercurrent of laughter. “Douglas is welcome here, of course. It’s whatever is best for Arianna, though. He is waiting for my call to let him know.”

  “I do want to go in, Blu. I think I need to. Will you help me to the bathroom, please?”

  Arianna was getting weaker, and she hated asking for the help that she now knew she needed. Maybe she should ask for the nurse this morning and clear her room while she got ready to go out. But Blu was there, offering her arm and her support. Just like she always had done. And Gigi too. She felt so much love for them. Yes, she knew what she had to do today, and she needed that final trip across the bridge. It was the one thing she’d known this morning as she awoke. The thought of it made her happy, made her feel that contentment that Doc had talked about yesterday. So she’d just keep putting one foot in front of the other this morning with the help of the others.

  Blu helped her to get dressed, and she chose her favorite pair of jeans and a nice top, short heels, and a jacket that she’d bought a few weeks ago. She couldn’t bear to stay in her sweats or track suit another minute, and she wanted this morning to be as normal as possible. She was craving normalcy.

  Once she’d gathered the papers and things she needed for the meeting, she had the light breakfast that Gigi had prepared for her. It was a small cup of tea; the taste of the coffee seemed to be bothering her lately—she suspected it was a side effect of all the medication she was on. She and Blu sat in the garden drinking tea and eating one of Gigi’s delicious scones that Arianna loved so much. God, these were heavenly. She’d have to remember to be sure that Lia tried them. They’d be perfect—her mind started to wander to conversations that she wasn’t quite ready to have.

  “You ready to go, rock star?” said Blu when Arianna hadn’t touched her scone for a few minutes. “Did you get enough to eat?”

  “Yes. Let’s hit it.”

  The two walked back into the house. Arianna gave Gigi a quick kiss on the cheek, took the two pills that the nurse handed her, and waited for a minute as the nurse popped a thermometer in her mouth.

  “Arianna, you do have a temperature.” The nurse looked worried as she delivered the news. “It’s against my better judgment that you are going out.”

  “We won’t be long. I promise. And Blu here will look after me. Won’t you, Blu?”

  Blu nodded towards the nurse, not looking at all confident as she did so.

  “As long as you tell me—as long as you’re honest with me if you are feeling really bad. Deal?”

  “Deal,” Arianna said as she picked up the keys from the foyer table, tossing them to Blu. “I call shotgun.” Arianna laughed as she headed towards the passenger side of the convertible.

  “I call music choice,” Blu bantered back, and Arianna thought she’d never felt anything more lovely and normal than the conversation that was taking place in that moment.

  Arianna laughe
d. “How ’bout your choice on the way over, mine on the way back?”

  “Deal,” Blu said as she turned the dial to her favorite rock station and they pulled out of Arianna’s driveway.

  “Blu.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I don’t hate your music.”

  Blu looked at Arianna over the top of her sunglasses as the traffic stalled for a minute. “Yeah, well, I do really hate your music.” Blu smiled and they continued into the city in silence.

  They pulled up to the parking lot at Douglas’s office and Blu shut off the car. “So do you want me to come inside with you?” Blu glanced at the papers Arianna held in her hand.

  “No, I need to do this one on my own. Would you mind just helping me inside?”

  “Of course. I’ll go round the corner to get a coffee and you can text me when you’re ready to meet back here. Sound good?”

  “Perfecto.”

  Arianna let Blu help lead her to Douglas’s floor, and his receptionist told them to go straight back. Blu said a quick hello to Douglas and gave Arianna a hug before turning to go back to the parking lot, where she’d left her wallet in the car.

  Douglas kissed Arianna on the cheek warmly, but not before she saw the concerned look in his eyes. He led her to the chair on one side of his desk and sat down across from her.

  “I could have come to your house, you know. Gigi told me that you weren’t feeling very well and I should have insisted.”

  Arianna shook her head. “No, I needed to come here. To come into the city—one last time.” Arianna looked down as she spoke, not completely trusting her emotions and not wanting to make Douglas uncomfortable either. But who was she kidding? She knew that she could be herself with Douglas. She owed him that. He’d been so amazing to her and had become more than her father’s best friend; he was her good friend and she trusted him completely.

  “But Douglas—will you come later? This evening. I’m having a little party—in the garden. Just us. Blu and Jemma. Lia. And Gigi, of course.” Arianna winked, true to form even in her current state of health.

  Douglas laughed. “Yes, Gigi invited me already, and of course I’ll be there. It sounds lovely.”

  Arianna nodded, looking pleased. “So, everything we talked about on the phone—I brought everything with me that you asked for. Are the documents ready for me to sign?”

  “Yes, after several phone calls, video chats, and faxes, everything is in order. Just how we discussed, and rock solid, so you’ve nothing to worry about. I just need your signatures.”

  Douglas slid the documents over towards Arianna across his desk, showing her where her signature was needed. “Arianna, I’m proud of you.” There were tears in his eyes as he spoke. “Your father—your parents would be too.”

  Arianna looked up from the paper that she was signing. “Thank you. Thank you, Douglas, for everything. You didn’t play a small part, you know. In my growing up a bit. Making these decisions. You’ve been a strong support and mentor to me, and I’m so grateful for that.” Arianna signed the signature field before her.

  She continued. “No, you’re more that that. You’ve truly become a friend to me. I only wish I’d be here to see what happens with you and Gigi.” Arianna laughed, trying to make the conversation a little less intense.

  Douglas laughed too. “Well, if I’m being honest—and with you I will be…” He grinned. “I think you might have been on to something there, suggesting I ask Gigi out a few months ago. She sure does seem to keep me on my toes, and I’m enjoying that.” He winked. “So far, at least.”

  Arianna laughed and finished signing the papers. “So is there anything else that needs to be done with this?”

  “Nope, that’s everything. It’s all in order.”

  “Good. Very good.” Arianna sat back feeling the most peaceful that she’d felt in days. Everything was going to be okay. It really was. “I should text Blu then and start thinking about heading back home. We’ll see you in a little while at the house?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” Douglas said as he helped Arianna out of the chair and out to the parking lot, where Blu was waiting in the car. He gave Arianna a big hug and vowed to see her in a few hours.

  “So how was it? Everything good?” Blu said as she helped Arianna into the passenger seat.

  “Yes, everything is perfect. Just exactly the way it’s supposed to be, I think.” Arianna leaned her head back and closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her face as she breathed in deeply.

  “Blu?”

  “Yes?”

  “Can you call Lia for me? See if she’s ready to come over now? Maybe we can go pick her up before we get Jemma?”

  Blu nodded, reaching for Arianna’s phone. “Of course we can. It’s gonna be a nice day, Ari.”

  Arianna glimpsed the look of Blu’s holding something back, but she wouldn’t press it today. There would be time for talking later. Today was just about being together, and she wanted everyone with her.

  Blu got hold of Lia, who agreed to be ready for pick-up in twenty minutes. When they stopped by her apartment, the sight of her took Arianna’s breath away. She still couldn’t believe that she was spending time with this woman who was her mother. And that they adored one another.

  “Don’t get up.” Lia said as Arianna made a move to let her in. “I can sit in the back seat and I don’t mind climbing over.” She laughed. “It’s good for my old bones.”

  Blu laughed. “Lia, there’s nothing old about you, girl.”

  Arianna nodded. “Thanks for coming over early. What’s in the bag?” she smiled, hoping it was an amazing Italian dessert of some type.

  “Oh, you’ll see.” Lia winked. “Only one of your favorites.”

  “Well, remind me that I want you to taste Gigi’s scones. She’s just made a new batch this morning and they are delicious. We’re gonna pick up Jemma from daycare and then we’ll head over.”

  “Sounds great,” said Lia.

  “And then I may excuse myself for the tiniest of naps when we arrive—if you all don’t mind. I want to be ready to party later.” Arianna laughed, and Blu and Lia exchanged a serious look between them.

  “Whatever you need, honey,” Lia said.

  Chapter 39

  Blu went by her house to pick up the car seat and then pick Jemma up from daycare. Arianna traded seats with Lia so that she could sit by an excited Jemma in the back seat of the convertible.

  Jemma let go of Blu’s hand as soon as she saw Arianna standing by the convertible in the daycare parking lot. “Ari, am I gonna ride in your red car?” she said as she ran up to Arianna, nearly knocking her down with a big hug.

  “Hey, J-bean. You’re getting fast. You nearly knocked me down.” Arianna tried not to show the pain that she was feeling, instead crouching down to eye level with the little girl. “You want to come over to my house and play for a little while?”

  Jemma nodded her head yes. “I love you, Ari. I love to go to your house.”

  Arianna’s heart melted as it always did during these moments with the little girl. “I love you too, bean. More than this much.” She stretched her arms out wide.

  Jemma stretched her little arms out as wide as they would go. “Oh yeah, well, I love you this much, Arianna.” She grinned and laughed.

  “Okay, squirt. Hop in the car seat. I’m gonna sit in back with you while Mommy drives today.”

  They all piled back in the car and, with the top down and the gorgeous San Francisco sun beaming down on them, made their way to the bridge.

  At the stoplight, Blu turned to Ari. “You want your music, opera girl?” she teased.

  “Play yours. It’s fine. Maybe until we get to the bridge.” Arianna stared out at the bay and then turned to give Jemma a big smile. “Jemma, do you like Mommy’s rock music or Arianna’s beautiful opera music?”

  Jemma thought about it for a moment and replied. “I like to listen to you sing, Arianna. Sing a song with me.”

  Arianna and Jemma sang
the nursery rhymes and silly songs that delighted children, Jemma laughing and clapping her hands. Arianna was having the best time that she’d thought she’d possibly ever had. Perhaps this was going to be the best moment of her life. The thought wasn’t lost on her. Her life these past months had been a string of the very best moments of her life…with Jemma, with Blu, with Gigi, and with Lia. How thankful she was that she’d had these last moments with her mother and the people that she loved.

  As if in sync with the sentimentality of how Arianna was feeling in the instant, Blu turned Arianna’s Italian opera on, and then Lia reached over and turned it up loud as they began making their way across the bridge.

  Arianna looked around her. Jemma laughing and so lovely sitting beside her. Her best friend and her mother in front of her. And for as far as she could see, the beauty of this home she’d come to love so much. Her hair whipped back behind her as the music filled her heart as it had done so many times before…just like any other ordinary day—but it wasn’t an ordinary day at all.

  Arianna knew deep down that this would be the last time she’d make this drive and feel the sun beating down on her in this exact place. And in that moment, she was okay. Everything was in order and everything was going to be okay.

  Everyone, even Jemma, was quiet during the remainder of the car ride home, as if they could feel the importance of the moment. Gigi came out to greet them when they pulled into the driveway, treat in hand for Jemma.. She took the little girl by the hand while Lia and Blu helped Arianna out of the car and into the house, where the nurse was waiting for her.

  “How are you feeling, Arianna? You look pretty worn out.” The nurse reached out to feel Arianna’s forehead and then hand her a glass of water and some pills. “I think it’s best if you lie down for awhile, don’t you?”

  Arianna nodded in agreement, turning to Blu and Lia. “Do you mind? Please make yourselves at home. Gigi will get you whatever you like, and when I wake up, we’ll have a little party in the garden.” Arianna tried to smile, but the pain that filled her body betrayed her and all she managed was a slight wince.