In an effort to move the conversation away from Momma, I said, “This is the prettiest car I’ve ever seen. What kind is it?”
Her eyes shone with pride. “This is a Packard Victoria. I’ve had this car since the day my late husband, Taylor, and I picked it out from the showroom.” She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “Let’s see. That was the summer of 1948. Almost twenty years ago.”
“Does that mean it’s an antique?”
She laughed. “Well, I guess so. I suppose we’re both antiques.”
“Where did you get her?” I asked, walking to the front of the car and running my fingers over the silver angel’s wings. They were warm from the sun and as smooth as glass.
Aunt Tootie came and stood next to me. “That’s Delilah. Taylor had her made for me. He wanted me to have a guardian angel to take care of me on the highway. And so far she’s done a fine job. Delilah will get us back to Savannah safe and sound.”
We stood, looking at each other, and everything went quiet. Time caved in around me. This was it. I was leaving Willoughby, Mrs. Odell, and my books.
Aunt Tootie reached out and touched my shoulder. “Cecelia Rose, are you ready to go?”
“But what about Dad? Aren’t we going to wait for him?”
The lines beneath her eyes deepened. “Your father isn’t coming to say good-bye. He thought it would be easier this way—less painful. I’m sorry.”
Not coming to say good-bye?
She opened her handbag, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to me. “He wanted me to give this to you.”
I stared at the envelope in her outstretched hand, and something went flat inside me.
My aunt’s words were so soft I barely heard them. “Shall I save it for later?”
I shook my head, took the envelope, and pulled out a note.
Dear Cecelia,
I’m sorry for everything that has happened.
But I know you’ll be happy in Savannah.
Love,
Dad
Nineteen words. I counted them. That’s all he had to say to me. Nineteen meaningless little words.
And that’s when my father died to me—right there in the driveway. I was, as of that very moment, an orphan. Both my parents were dead, and if I was to be honest with myself, they’d been dead for a long time. It just took me awhile to figure it out.
I shoved the note back into the envelope and stuffed it deep in my pocket. Though I could feel Aunt Tootie’s eyes on me, I couldn’t bring myself to look at her. I turned and took one last look at Mrs. Odell’s little house, and my throat tightened when I saw her peek through the slats of the venetian blind in her front window. That did it. I took off running toward her house. She opened the door, stepped onto the porch, and threw her arms around me. Neither one of us said a word; we just clung to each other like it was the end of the world. And in many ways it was.
“Oh, Cecelia,” she whispered into my hair, “this is so hard.”
I burrowed my face into her shoulder. “I love you, Mrs. Odell.”
She leaned close to my ear. “And I love you. Don’t be scared, honey. Remember what I told you about your Life Book?”
I looked into her eyes. “Yes.”
She kissed my forehead. “This is a wonderful new chapter for you. Everything will be fine. I promise it will. You’ll see.”
I took a deep breath and turned to see Aunt Tootie standing at the bottom of the steps.
“I’m ready,” I said, not believing it but saying it just the same.
Aunt Tootie winked at Mrs. Odell. “I’ll call you when we reach Savannah, Gertrude. I’ll take good care of Cecelia. I promise.”
Mrs. Odell nodded, lowered her head, and walked inside her house. A part of me went right through the door with her.
Aunt Tootie took hold of my hand, and we walked toward the car. “How do you know Mrs. Odell?” I asked.
“Your father told me how close the two of you are, so I stopped by to see her earlier this morning before I came to get you. She’s a lovely lady, and she sure thinks the world of you.”
Aunt
Her eyes shone with pride. “This is a Packard Victoria. I’ve had this car since the day my late husband, Taylor, and I picked it out from the showroom.” She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “Let’s see. That was the summer of 1948. Almost twenty years ago.”
“Does that mean it’s an antique?”
She laughed. “Well, I guess so. I suppose we’re both antiques.”
“Where did you get her?” I asked, walking to the front of the car and running my fingers over the silver angel’s wings. They were warm from the sun and as smooth as glass.
Aunt Tootie came and stood next to me. “That’s Delilah. Taylor had her made for me. He wanted me to have a guardian angel to take care of me on the highway. And so far she’s done a fine job. Delilah will get us back to Savannah safe and sound.”
We stood, looking at each other, and everything went quiet. Time caved in around me. This was it. I was leaving Willoughby, Mrs. Odell, and my books.
Aunt Tootie reached out and touched my shoulder. “Cecelia Rose, are you ready to go?”
“But what about Dad? Aren’t we going to wait for him?”
The lines beneath her eyes deepened. “Your father isn’t coming to say good-bye. He thought it would be easier this way—less painful. I’m sorry.”
Not coming to say good-bye?
She opened her handbag, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to me. “He wanted me to give this to you.”
I stared at the envelope in her outstretched hand, and something went flat inside me.
My aunt’s words were so soft I barely heard them. “Shall I save it for later?”
I shook my head, took the envelope, and pulled out a note.
Dear Cecelia,
I’m sorry for everything that has happened.
But I know you’ll be happy in Savannah.
Love,
Dad
Nineteen words. I counted them. That’s all he had to say to me. Nineteen meaningless little words.
And that’s when my father died to me—right there in the driveway. I was, as of that very moment, an orphan. Both my parents were dead, and if I was to be honest with myself, they’d been dead for a long time. It just took me awhile to figure it out.
I shoved the note back into the envelope and stuffed it deep in my pocket. Though I could feel Aunt Tootie’s eyes on me, I couldn’t bring myself to look at her. I turned and took one last look at Mrs. Odell’s little house, and my throat tightened when I saw her peek through the slats of the venetian blind in her front window. That did it. I took off running toward her house. She opened the door, stepped onto the porch, and threw her arms around me. Neither one of us said a word; we just clung to each other like it was the end of the world. And in many ways it was.
“Oh, Cecelia,” she whispered into my hair, “this is so hard.”
I burrowed my face into her shoulder. “I love you, Mrs. Odell.”
She leaned close to my ear. “And I love you. Don’t be scared, honey. Remember what I told you about your Life Book?”
I looked into her eyes. “Yes.”
She kissed my forehead. “This is a wonderful new chapter for you. Everything will be fine. I promise it will. You’ll see.”
I took a deep breath and turned to see Aunt Tootie standing at the bottom of the steps.
“I’m ready,” I said, not believing it but saying it just the same.
Aunt Tootie winked at Mrs. Odell. “I’ll call you when we reach Savannah, Gertrude. I’ll take good care of Cecelia. I promise.”
Mrs. Odell nodded, lowered her head, and walked inside her house. A part of me went right through the door with her.
Aunt Tootie took hold of my hand, and we walked toward the car. “How do you know Mrs. Odell?” I asked.
“Your father told me how close the two of you are, so I stopped by to see her earlier this morning before I came to get you. She’s a lovely lady, and she sure thinks the world of you.”
Aunt
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