For Avaley * unedited*

Chapter Six

Chapter 6

It was at the end of winter just starting into Spring in Michigan and Ava has never really seen the snow (at least by northern standards). We get an inch or two here and there in Texas but it usually melts off by mid day. Any Michigander will tell you that our amount of snow is nothing and doesn’t count unless it accumulates and stays. I wish we were arriving when there would be a lot of snow for her to see instead of the spring mud pie. At least her Grandparents will have the pool up and running already for her to enjoy. Her Grandfather is crazy and likes the cool refreshing nip on the skin after a swim. Pool heaters are a wonderful thing in his mind’s eye.

Most of the second days drive we discussed the different college options. She was strongly leading toward MSU and I couldn’t help but be proud. Although I never finished my degree there it still holds a special place in my heart. Less than an hour from Kalamazoo the car started to feel real small.

“Mom?”

“Yes”

“Is there anything you will tell me about my father?”

I sighed. I knew this was coming and that I needed to address it. Time to take my big girl pill! We were not going to my childhood town which would be much easier. Since my family moved some years back, there is a chance I could run into him before the funeral.

“Ava I guess I should tell you about him since there may be a chance of running into him.”

Ava started clapping her hands and bouncing up and down in her seat.

“Oh my God, OH MY GOD” she yelled “I can’t believe I wore you down.”

I stopped her there “you didn’t wear me down Ava it’s just hard to hide it if he sees you. You look so much like him.”

“Why would I see him?”

“Honey he will probably be at the funeral. Plus he lives in Kalamazoo it’s not impossible.”

“Oh” she whispered

“Yeah”

“Well we should tell him first.”

“I planned on it. I was going to call him in thirty minutes and see if I could meet with him.”

“Just like that what if he asks why?”

“I am sure he will. I will just tell him I need a friend to talk to. It turned out after I met him in college we found out our Grandfather’s were best friends. They only saw each other twice a year once they got older and it became hard to travel but never the less our families are very close since we moved to the same town.”

“Oh, well what’s his name?”

“Evan Carmichael”

I looked over and her mouth was hanging open and she looked like the familiar expression; deer caught in headlights mixed with a little of fish out of water.

“Honey close your mouth you are going to catch a fly.”

She shot me a look so she wasn’t in that much of a shock. She sat there quiet for a while so I reached for the phone. I called information and asked for his number. He was unlisted so I tried his parent’s old number and bingo I was in luck.

“Hello”

I heard his mother ethereal voice.

“Lucy, this is Paige, Paige Andrews.”

There was silence. I got scared and almost hung up. Ava reached over and laid her hand on my leg trying to show me support. Awkward placement on my daughter’s part but it snapped me out of it and I realized Lucy was talking.

“Paige we were just talking about you.”

Now I was the deer “You were? Good or bad?” I asked tentatively.

She laughed “It’s always good talk about you my dear.”

I let out a breath I had been holding. I began to relax.

“I need to talk to Evan.”

“Sweetheart he has wanted to talk to you for over fifteen years.” She said with emphasis and slight sarcasm.

I froze and Ava slapped my arm while frantically pointing at the road trying to remind me I was driving.

“Why?”

“I think you know the answer to that.”

“Obviously not that’s why I asked.”

She laughed again “He always felt like a piece of his soul was missing. You two were so close it hurt him when you left without a word. We both know he was too proud to go after you. He did track you down about five years ago and noticed you had a family. He has wanted to congratulate you ever since. I think he just wanted to know you were ok but needed closure.”

“Oh, I have a daughter her name is Ava well actually Avaley.”

Lucy gasped “My mother’s name” she said fondly.

“You know I always thought it was a beautiful name. I use to tell her that every time I saw her.”

“She loved you and would be proud you daughter has her name.”

“And I her, that is why I named my daughter after her.”

I looked over at Ava and saw tears streaming down her face. I had never told her why I named her Avaley. She wiped at her tears and pointed back to the phone.

“Lucy can I have his cell please.”

“Yes honey just a minute.”

She rattled the number off to me and insisted I come by and see her sometime. She assumed I couldn’t make it for the funeral and told me so. I just let her think that I needed to talk but I needed to tell Evan first.

“It was nice talking with you Lucy. I am going to call Evan now.”

“You do that honey and stay in touch, bye.” The line went dead. They always did hang up rather fast but at least they always said bye.

“My father is the son of Lucy and Wayne Carmichael?”

“Yes”

“Holy shit he is like a millionaire.”

“Him personally no but the whole family is worth billions. I am sure he got his trust fund and invested it with his father’s help and is self sufficient. Though, the bulk of the money, it belongs to his father.”

“Does he have siblings? Do I have Aunts or Uncles.”

“Your father had one brother and he was killed in a drunk driving accident while they were in grade school. I think it was just before he was going to be a freshman.”

“Ouch I won’t be bringing that up.”

“Let me call your father and I promise I will answer all of your question as long as it doesn’t cause me pain once we are at the diner. Deal?”

“Deal”

I pulled into our hotel where we will be staying for the duration of our trip and sighed with relief that the long car ride was over.