Neighbors

Chapter Fifteen, Quinn Taylor James

I drove for a while listening to Carrie UnderWood trying to calm myself. I finally pull into the jail and it takes all my strength to step out of my car and walk in. “Name.” “Quinn James.” The lady hands me a tag and I stick it on my tank top. “Inmate name.” “Deb James.” The lady started typing on her computer. “We don’t have Deb James.” I stare at the lady in shock. “Do you have a Deb here?” “Thirteen of them. Lady, please don’t waste my time.” “My Mother called from this facility.” The woman does some more typing. “What was she charged for?” “Theft of art.” The woman types more. “Alright so I have a Deb Scott here for theft of art.” I shake my head so she got married? “That’s her.” The woman presses a button and suddenly another woman comes and escorts me into what looks to be a lunch room. “Sit.” I do as I’m told and tap on the table. “Quinny!” I fume at the sound of her voice. “Deb. Or should I say Deb Scott?” She sits down and rolls her eyes. “Well I figured you’d find out. I got married right after I left you.” I stare at her. “So you left me for a man?” She shakes her head. “In a way. But you were better off without me. Anyways he’s part of the reason I had you come here.” I ignore the second half of what she says. “I wasn’t better off. Aria took care of me for a while sure but then as I got older she partied more and then she left. Only came back every now and then for money.” My Mom stops what she’s saying. “What? Is she still like that?” I roll my eyes. “No, thanks to you she was for a few good years but luckily she found someone who actually makes her happy.” Deb rolls her eyes. “Happiness is overrated.” “Just because you can’t have it doesn't mean your children shouldn’t have it.” She laughs. “So you're in love too? Well that’s a shame I was too and then he left me with his child who I didn’t even want.” I shake my head. “Don’t act like your some hero either! You left me too. If all you wanted was to rehash the past and make it seem like you were an amazing Mother then I think I’ll leave now.” She places her hand on top of mine. “Wait… I need to tell you something.” “What?” “I’m dying, my organs are giving up on me.” I stare at her. “Well why did I need to know that? I spent the last fifteen almost sixteen years of my life thinking you were dead.” She shakes her head and grabs my hand again. “The man I married Dan Scott was rich; he was older and really rich. He died a few months after I got locked up and he had put me in his will. I have all his money which is a lot even though I never got to spend it…but you can.” I stare at her. “I don’t understand.” “When I die, which will be soon enough, you're getting my money.” I can’t believe her words. “What about Mark, and Aria?” “You get the most of it but they’ll get some too…I only wanted one of you which was Mark but Aria and you I never wanted I got you anyways and I may resent the two of you for that but you're good people. I have researched Aria, you, and Mark. I hear that Aria is a mom that stays at home, I hear that Mark is a big deal author that’s married, and I hear that you are a Labor and Delivery nurse. Is that true?” “Aria is a stay at home mom of two. Mark is taking a break from writing because it was a big deal so he could retire now if he wanted. He is divorced now but dating a good friend of mine. And I’m a labor and delivery nurse that is dating a very special man.” She smiles. “I know that none of that is because of me, but I’m proud of the people you and your siblings have become. Please take the money, don't think of it as something from me if it helps, think of it as something from an old rich man you never even knew.” I shake my head. “I’ll take the money when I get it. But I will never think about you.” She nods. “That’s fine. But wait a minute. Look I don’t want you to think about your past at all don’t let what me and Steven did affect your life, only let people that are good to you do that. That’s not what we were so don’t let what we did to you affect you move on with your life forget you ever even knew people named Deb, and Steven. Move on, get married, have kids and do everything in your power to never remember us. You understand me?” I think about this. “Yes. I understand.” She nods. “Then my job here is done. I hope you have a wonderful life.” I stand and look at her in the eyes one last time before wiping her from my memory. “Goodbye Deb.” She nods. “Goodbye Quinn.” I walk out with the officer and then I head for my car. I had thought all this time I had all the closure I needed but I’m realizing now I didn’t then but now I do. I’m finally free from that little girl that wanted her Father and her Mother. I’m no longer that girl. I'm Quinn Taylor James the loving girlfriend, the fun Aunt, the caring sister, the best friend. That is who Quinn Taylor James is.