The Turns Life Takes - Eve/Julian - Chapter 3
by yhh
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, may Tabitha Lenox, rest in peace,” the owner
of Summers and Harris Funeral Home concluded.
With Maria in one arm and the other hand holding Endora’s, Kay walked up
to the casket and placed three red roses on Tabitha’s casket as it was being
lowered into its final resting place. Kay and Endora stared down at the
casket until all movement stopped, then they turned and greeted the few
who had attended the services.
Eve looked around. They were less than twenty people in attendance and
they were mostly people here for Kay. Grace, Sam, Jessica, Simone, Reese,
TC, John, Whitney, Chad, Fox, Theresa, Pilar, and Miguel were all in attendance.
Besides Kay, Charity might have been the only other person to spend time
with Tabitha.
A few people from the neighborhood had out of neighbor courtesy attended
also. And all during the abbreviated services, she had felt like there were
others watching. When she turned her head to look beyond the sparse crowds,
she thought she had caught a glimpse of a shadow or person ducking behind
a tree. Maybe she was seeing things or maybe not. Who knew, with Tabitha
involved anything was possible.
Picking up a handful of dirt, she gently let it slide out of her hand onto
the coffin. Whispering she said, “I won’t forget the promise I made to you.”
Before she could think to say more, TC touched her.
“Baby, it’s time to go,” TC informed.
She nodded and followed him to the car.
Thirty minutes later and much badgering from TC, Eve slipped inside Tabitha’s
house. Apologizing for being late, Eve quickly sat on the sofa next to Kay.
Eve reached for Kay’s hand and Kay smiled as she felt their hands clasp.
Mr. Giles looked down in his nose at them. “We’re waiting for one more
person, then I’ll begin.”
Eve was surprised to see Miguel and Charity present, but she was equally
shocked that she was asked to come to the reading of the will. There was
no way Tabitha knew she would be the doctor that would one day try desperately
to save her life and fail.
After a swift knock, the front door opened and in walked none other than
Julian Crane. Eve was stunned, flabbergasted. He was definitely the last
person in the world she expected to see here. He nodded his greetings to
everyone in the room and leaned against the wall.
Kay looked at her in complete astonishment. She patted Kay’s hand for reassurance
and then turned to the lawyer.
“First, I will read the will of Timmy Lenox. Mr. Lenox wrote a letter.
‘Dear Charity, I sit here in the waiting room, hoping you’ll pull through.
I have a feeling you will, but a strange feeling has been with me for the
past few weeks. I don’t know what it is, but I figured I should put all
my affairs in order. Charity when you get better and I know you will, I
want you to go to school. You and Miguel both should take this second chance
at life and love and live it to the fullest. So I’ve set up a trust fund
for you and Miguel to go to school and become the people you want to be.
Charity, you’re also free to take any of my things, after Tabby, of course.
I wish you all the best, Charity. I really hope you and Miguel are happy.
Love, Timmy.’ So reads the last will and testament of Timmy Lenox,” Mr. Giles
concluded.
Charity and Miguel were speechless.
“Oh my! Oh, Timmy, I was never expecting this. I don’t know, what to say,”
Charity said, looking to Miguel for help.
“Thanks,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Yes, thanks,” Charity concurred.
Feeling Kay’s grip tightened, Eve faced Kay and silently communicated to
Kay to stay calm and mature. Kay nodded.
“Miss Standish, the boxes containing Mr. Lenox’s remaining possessions
will be waiting for you at your house now. Miss Standish, if you, and Mr.
Lopez-Fitzgerald would please come sign these documents, the trust fund
will be transferred over to you.”
Miguel and Charity walked to the desk where Mr. Giles was sitting and signed
at the x.
“Thank you for coming,” Mr. Giles said curtly, “you may now leave.”
Miguel and Charity mumbled their thanks again. Charity walked over to Kay
and stooped to Kay’s level. “I’m so sorry, cousin,” she murmured in Kay’s
ear.
“Thanks,” Kay said with a modicum of grace.
Eve was proud and nudged Kay.
Kay blushed as Miguel and Charity exited the house.
“Now onto Miss Lenox’s will. It’s been a long day for everyone so I will
skip the legal speak and surmise her will. Miss Bennett, Tabitha leaves
you the house and her car. The insurance agency is replacing her car with
a brand new one.”
Kay squealed and squeezed Eve’s hand.
“You’ve also been left a trust fund for the maintenance of the house and
one for your education and personal maintenance. Miss Lenox wanted you to
go back to college and further your education. She also left a trust fund
for Miss Maria Ivy Lopez-Fitzgerald,” he stated.
No longer able to contain her excitement, Kay jumped up out of her seat.
“Yeah! Tabitha, thanks so much,” she shouted up at the sky. Then suddenly
remembering the occasion and circumstances in which she received this windfall,
she quickly sat back down next to Eve, meekly.
Once Mr. Giles was sure the outbursts had been contained, he continued.
“Miss Bennett, if you would sign here, you and your daughter will take ownership
of all that I’ve stated with Dr. Eve Johnson being the overseer of your
trusts.”
“What?” Eve exclaimed. “Me?” she questioned, clearly not understanding
how she got involved in Tabitha’s business.
“Yes, you, Dr. Johnson,” Mr. Giles answered.
“It’s Dr. Russell,” Eve corrected him.
He nodded. “Miss Lenox felt that this was a large sum of money for Miss
Bennett to handle on her own and she felt you would be the perfect person
to teach her and guide her.”
“How much is in the trust funds?” Eve asked.
“A few million,” he replied.
Kay was speechless.
Eve was bowled over. This day kept getting bizarre by the moment. She had
never known, Tabitha to work how did she come into this money.
“Miss Lenox and Mr. Lenox were the last remaining members of a wealthy
family. They were the eccentric ones," Mir. Giles said, answering Eve's
unasked question. "Miss Bennett,” Mr. Giles called.
Kay walked to the desk and looked over the documents. “Auntie?”
Eve got up and walked over to the desk. She read the documents and while
she felt she understood what most of said, she knew the silent man against
the wall. The Harvard Law School graduate could spot an error or loophole
in the document in a heartbeat.
“Julian,” Eve called out to him.
Upon hearing the love of his life call his name, he perked up and left
his daydream behind. “Yes, Dr. Johnson?” he asked, might as well watch her
breast heave from anger while he was stuck here.
Eve glared at him, but remained calm as she spoke. “Could you please take
a look at this document for us?”
Casually walking over to the desk, Julian read through the document swiftly.
“It is as he says it is,” he stated referring to Tabitha’s lawyer.
“Thank you,” Eve replied politely.
“Anytime, Dr. Johnson,” he smiled.
Eve accidentally fell backwards and her high heel shoe stumped his toe.
“Ouch!” Julian yelled, as he hopped around on one foot.
“Sorry,” Eve apologized as sincerely as possible.
Julian laughed, further disturbing Eve and ruining her glee at one-upping
him.
Hearing Maria cry, Kay excused herself.
“If everyone would please return to their seats. I have one final piece
of business and then I can finish my business here,” Mr. Giles requested to
the remaining duo.
Eve returned to the sofa. Julian took a seat to the right of Eve so he
could stay in her line of sight.
“When it comes to the custody of Endora Lenox. The minor will henceforth
be known by her new name Endora Kathleen Lenox Crane and live with her soon-to-be
adopted mother, Dr. Eve Johnson.”
“Wha- - what?!?!” Eve and Julian said simultaneously in shock.
“Julian, you slept with Tabitha, too,” Eve said in anger quickly realizing
her mistake she corrected herself. “You slept with Tabitha?”
“Timmy was making those MarTimmies of his- -“
“Excuses, excuses. You’re really good with those,” Eve shouted at him.
“There is no way that child is mine,” Julian yelled to everyone, but particularly
to Eve.
“No, it is 99.999% that you are the child’s father. Dr. Johnson performed
the DNA test herself after the birth of the child,” the British lawyer informed
Julian.
“I did,” Eve said more to herself. She remembered Tabitha asking her to
run a DNA test, but she had no idea it had revealed Julian as the father.
Or that is was Julian's DNA, she was testing. Another Crane child, Julian
wasn’t there for. “Is there anyone in this town you don’t have a child with?”
she asked of Julian.
“Plenty, you for one,” Julian bellowed in his anger.
Hurt beyond belief, Eve ran from the room.
Instantly realizing his mistake, Julian took off after her.
Kay watched the two from the top of the staircase, maybe Whitney had reason
to be worried that something more was going on between Auntie and Mr. Crane.
Tabitha had been right sometimes it does pay to eavesdrop. She couldn’t
believe Julian was Endora’s father. Tabitha and Mr. Crane. Yuck! But on
the bright side, at least Dora never had to worry about money again.
Julian caught up with Eve as she ran to the backdoor. He grabbed her and
turned her to face him. He lifted her chin so he could look directly into
her eyes full of tears. “I’m sorry, my love. I didn’t mean it. I spoke out
of anger and confusion. I would never do or say anything to hurt you. Somewhere
out there, Eve, is our son. And he’s waiting for us to find him and give
him all the love we’ve been holding inside,” Julian said as gently as possible.
“Please forgive me.”
“You slept with Tabitha,” Eve stated not knowing which hurt her more his
angry outburst or the fact that he had a living child with another woman,
that wasn’t Ivy or Theresa.
“I was drunk. We both were,” Julian reminded her.
“That’s not a good enough excuse, Julian.”
“No, but without you I was drunken and lost fool and I made tons of foolish
mistakes.”
“Jul- -“
Julian was through with words. He picked Eve up and brought her lips even
with his and kissed her passionately and tenderly, conveying his apologies
for his past and his intentions for the future. He walked over to the nearest
wall and put her back against the wall, freeing his hands to roam over her
luscious body. And roam his hands did, until the cry of a baby jerked Eve
out of the sensuous haze that Julian created.
Turning her head to the side to avoid his mouth, his lips quickly found
her neck.
“Julian, no,” she said softly.
His pleasurable and mind blow attack continued.
“Julian,” she repeated a bit more forcefully and with a push.
“You don’t want to stop, Eve,” he murmured against the nape of her neck.
Eve groaned as the crying grew louder. “Yes, I do,” she said coming to
her senses and escaping from Julian’s embrace.
Straightening her clothes and hair, Eve reprimanded herself. How did she
get in these situations with Julian? Why was it happening now? They had
gone decades without this pas- - without this lust.
“I allowed alcohol and other women to ease the pain of losing you and our
son, but the pain was still there. The passion and love, I felt and feel
for you were still there just buried underneath all the other junk,” Julian
whispered in her ear.
Leaning back against him, Eve pondered how it was that he could read her
mind, her thoughts. She never had anything like this with TC. TC! The magic
word popped into her head. She scrambled away from Julian. “This can’t happen
again,” she commanded and left the kitchen.
Julian allowed her to leave. Soon he would overcome her connection with
TC and this will of Tabitha’s might be the final nail in TC’s coffin. He smiled
and went to join the others in the living room.
“I want another DNA test done,” Julian stated to the lawyer over the crying
babies.
“As you wish, sir,” Mr. Giles replied.
Eve took Endora from Kay and instantly Endora stopped crying. They stared
into each other’s eyes. Eve instantly recognized the eyes looking back at
her. She would recognize them anywhere. They were Julian’s eyes. “Julian,
another DNA test isn’t necessary,” she informed him.
Studying Eve’s face and the odd look upon it, Julian didn’t question her
statement. “Cancel the test.”
The lawyer nodded. “Now Dr. Johnson, if you would sign here.”
“I’ll make sure she signs them and returns them to you before you leave.
Thank you,” Julian said, dismissing the lawyer.
“Very well, sir,” Mr. Giles agreed and hurriedly gathered his belongings
and left.
Kay took Maria upstairs to change and feed her, leaving Eve, Endora, and
Julian alone.
Julian enjoyed the picture Eve and the baby presented, Madonna and child.
He didn’t know if Tabitha’s daughter was his, but he prayed she was if it
gave him another foothold in Eve’s life.
Eve could feel Julian watching her. Her life was quickly unraveling at
the seams, yet holding this baby made all of her problems disappear. Endora
reminded her of all the good times when Whitney and Simone were little.
She knew TC would flip when he found out that Endora had been left in her
care, particularly when he discovered Julian was her father. But she didn’t
care; she made a promise to Tabitha, one mother to another. And maybe just
maybe this was her second chance to do right by a Crane child, even if it
wasn’t biologically her own.