Neil sighed heavily as he folded the sheet of paper and stuck it into his jacket pocket. “What else would you suggest, Jack? You know I can’t get my hands on that much money without setting off alarm bells. And Scarlett sounded awfully adamant about not accepting any of your money.”
“Maybe your should ask your daughter what it is she’d like from you,” suggested Jackson quietly.
Both men looked at Scarlett expectantly, but neither were prepared for the one thing she did want.
“I want to meet my family,” she stated firmly. “Jackson told me that my grandparents are still alive, and that I have uncles, aunts, and cousins. And if there’s one thing I’ve always wanted even more than having a place of my own, it’s a family. So when can I meet them?”
Jackson was completely taken aback by this unexpected request, while Neil was downright horrified, shaking his head emphatically.
“My God, no!” he uttered, his voice loud enough to attract attention from surrounding tables. “That’s - Jack, for Christ’s sake, tell her why that’s impossible, why that could never happen. Not in a million years. It would ruin everything, everyone. Jesus.”
Jackson sighed, wondering why once again he kept getting stuck with the shit jobs in this family. But since Neil looked about ready to vomit, or faint, it was left to him to explain the situation to a bemused Scarlett.
“It’s not that simple,” he began gently. “I think I already told you that your two uncles - three, if you count Neil’s brother-in-law - work for Gilmore. It was because of Neil’s marriage to my sister that he was able to help all three of them get jobs. And they have pretty decent jobs, too, good salary and benefits, seniority. They all have families, two and three kids each. If any of them were to find out about you, Scarlett, I guarantee word would travel awfully fast to my father. You just can’t keep a secret like that for very long. And if my father found out about you - well, he would make very, very sure that it all came crashing down.”
“Barton would ruin my family,” muttered Neil, still looking sickly. “He wouldn’t hesitate to fire all three of them without cause, not even counting what he’d do to me. And it’s not just my siblings and their families who would suffer. The four of us all contribute to helping our parents out.”
“Neil’s mom - your grandmother - had a stroke a few years ago,” interjected Jackson. “And while she’s doing a lot better now she still requires some therapy plus help around the house. She and your grandfather wouldn’t be able to afford those extras on just their income.”
Scarlett’s expression looked frozen in place. “So I’d basically be responsible for their financial demise if they ever found out about me,” she replied woodenly. “Which means I have to forget about the fact that they even exist. That even though I’ve finally learned I have this big family, I’ll never be allowed to meet any of them.”
“I’m so sorry, honey,” Jackson murmured, his heart breaking to see the sorrow reflected in her blue eyes. He touched her forearm consolingly, only for Scarlett to jerk her arm away as though she’d been burned.
She surged to her feet, pushing away from the table and snatching up her backpack. “Forget it,” she said, waving a hand in dismissal. “One more rejection, one more disappointment. Story of my fucking life, after all. I should be used to that by now, should know better than to think anything good will ever happen to me unless I make it happen for myself.”
Scarlett shrugged the tattered straps of her backpack over her shoulders and once again pointed her finger in warning at both men. “So here’s the way it’s going to happen. I’ll do what you want and come to Phoenix for this bone marrow donation. Jackson can let me know about the travel arrangements, how long I’ll need to be out of town, that sort of thing. My father can take care of wiring that money into my account whenever it’s convenient for him. Or not. Whatever. Not like I’m not used to being let down by him, is it? But mark my words, both of you. When that bone marrow transplant is done, when the doctors tell me I’ve done my part, I’m walking out of that goddamn hospital, hopping on a plane back here, and getting back to my life. My duty will be done. And I never, ever, want to see or hear from either of you ever again.”
Without a backwards glance or another word, she stormed out of the café, letting the front door slam loudly in her wake.
Chapter Nine
“You should leave a little early today, darling. The next few days are going to be very stressful for you, after all. I just wish I could come along with you, help take care of you afterwards. And to meditate with you, of course. Promise me that you’ll take a few minutes every day for your meditation practice while you’re in Phoenix.”
Scarlett smiled reassuringly at her boss/mentor/friend. “I promise. Though I doubt I’m going to need much taking care of. The nurse I talked to on the phone, the one who’s apparently taking care of all the arrangements for my part in this thing, assured me that the recovery from the bone marrow donation would be no big deal. Just to expect a little soreness in the spot they extract the marrow from for about a week, maybe a little residual sleepiness from the anesthesia, that sort of thing. I might not even have to spend the night in the hospital. God, I hope not! I hate those places.”
Ananda nodded emphatically. “Of course you do, darling. Not even counting the terrible experiences you had in those awful places, you know my feelings about Western medicine.” She shuddered in revulsion. “If your father and his wife had bothered to try any sort of Eastern or holistic treatments for your half-sister, she would have very likely been cured by now. Instead they allowed those barbaric doctors to pump her full of poison - because that’s what chemo is, you know - and put her through all sorts of horrid procedures. All that being said, however, this is a wonderful thing you’re doing for her, Scarlett. You’re inviting all manner of positive energy and good karma into your life by being so kind and unselfish. And I’ve already seen in the cards that this one act is going to change your life for the better, in many ways.”
Scarlett resisted the urge to roll her eyes, since not for the world would she ever do or say anything to hurt Ananda’s feelings or disparage her beliefs. Especially not after everything she and Isaiah had done for her these past three years.
Still, though, it was difficult at times to humor the older woman when she began talking about karma, holistic medicine, herbs and potions, and especially her sacred tarot cards and healing crystals. She also firmly believed in reincarnation, energy healing, and other new age-y stuff that Scarlett had little to no comprehension of.
Looking at the older woman now, to observe how serene and calm and at peace with the world she was, it was hard to imagine that she’d been a wild child back in her early to mid twenties. Ananda had been an addict back then, her addiction a way to escape the horrid memories of a childhood and teen years that had been even more abusive than Scarlett’s. At the peak of her addiction, she’d discovered yoga and meditation, along with a recovery support group. It had been the combination of those three things that had helped to turn her life around. She’d become so devoted to her yogic way of life that she had legally changed her name from Alicia to Ananda, the Sanskrit word for happiness. She had gone on to become a yoga teacher, relocated to Berkeley, and then opened Café Santosha nearly twenty years ago.