25. Part of the Family

CHAPTER25

Part of the Family

Wyn

Needless to say, the tailgate party was out.

After they’d left to go to the hospital, I phoned Katy to explain why we wouldn’t be joining them at the football game that day, and I did not hold back with this explanation.

I did this not only because Beau had gone out of his way to get us tickets and they should know why we weren’t able to join them, but also because we didn’t live in New Orleans, close to Colette and Guillaume.

And that scene, as hideous as it was, obviously was not unusual.

In other words, I was worried about Guillaume, and since we lived a continent away, we might need backups.

“I cannot believe my ears,” Katy hissed after I explained that morning’s goings-on (leaving out the Estelle part, but that was the only part I left out) and the fact Remy, Manon and Sabre were at the hospital with Guillaume.

“I couldn’t believe mine either, or my eyes. I don’t know how long they’ll be, but I don’t think anyone will be in the mood for football after they get back. I’m so sorry, Katy. It was very nice of Beau to—”

“Stop it, that’s the last thing we’ll be worried about today,” Katy cut me off to say. “Are you still there? At the house?”

“Yes, with Yves, who’s with his grandmother, settling her down.”

I heard something out in the hall, so I went to the door of our bedroom where I’d vamoosed to put on some underwear (at least) and opened it to see Melly carrying an empty tray to the stairs.

She gave me a tight-lipped nod.

I returned it, she moved to the stairs, and I looked down the hall to see the door to Colette’s room was closed.

I closed my own, and while this was happening, Katy asked, “Do you want me to come over? And Beau? He can come too. I can also call Jason. Does Remy need his boys?”

“I need to ask Remy about that, but I don’t want to disturb him right now,” I replied.

“Of course. Yes, of course,” she muttered.

“I’ll be in touch, but don’t change your plans. I know that would upset Remy. Though, it might be an on-call situation for tonight.”

“Beau loves football, Wyn, but he loves Remy more. So even if it’s before that, we’re there.”

I loved that, obviously.

“Thanks, Katy. I’ll keep you in the loop, all right?”

“All right, babe. Take care. And while Remy’s not around, stay away from that woman.” Her voice dropped when she finished, “Dear God. Poor Guillaume.”

“I will. Thanks for listening.”

“Anytime, and definitely let us know. Beau will be worried, yeah?”

I could tell by her voice, she would too.

“Yeah.”

We said our goodbyes, and even though I was still in my robe, I walked downstairs, into the kitchen.

I barely made it into the room before Melly, at the sink doing some dishes, said, “He made me promise not to say anything.”

I was sure he did.

I walked closer to her and grabbed a dishtowel.

“I told him he should call his son. She should get help,” Melly went on. “He told me he didn’t want anyone to know, specifically Remy. He said it was a personal thing. He defends her. Says she’s high-strung. Her upbringing was difficult.” She looked from the sink to me. “Her upbringing was difficult,” she practically spat. “Like she’s thirty and discovering herself. Not eighty and absolutely should know better.”

I made a noise of assent.

“But I should have said something,” she concluded.

“Well, we know now,” I replied softly, no recrimination in my voice, because it wasn’t her fault. They were her employers. But I could see by the line of her frame she was still tense. “And if Guillaume asked you not to, that made it very difficult for you. To be loyal to him and feel disloyal if you were to have shared.”

“I know Estelle,” she declared.

I took a mixing bowl from her, vaguely wondering what she’d made in it, and started drying it, all while gazing at her as my silent cue to go on.

“She fell, broke her wrist, found doing some things around the house difficult, and Mr. Gastineau was going over to help her quite a bit. Mrs. Gastineau figured it out and pitched her usual fits, and yes, that’s plural. So he couldn’t go. It tore him up. I heard him on the phone with her. I told him I’d go. And I did, a few days a week for about a month.”

She’d been rubbing a wooden spoon under water for some time, and she stopped doing this not to rinse but to look at me, and kept talking.

“She’s lovely. She’s the complete antithesis of Mrs. Gastineau. We made friends. We decided to form a two-girl dinner club. We go out to dinner once a month together, she gets a pick, I get the next pick. She’s been going to some of the restaurants for decades that she’s taken me to, and everyone loves her. Everyone loves her, Wyn. Because she’s that kind of lady.”

“Okay,” I said softly, having no idea what else to say and somewhat preoccupied with how heavy my heart was at hearing what Melly had to say about Estelle.

“He needs to move from here, move in with her. I can take care of Mrs. Gastineau. He needs to get out of here.”

I knew what to say to that.

Or at least what to ask.

And my voice was pitched high in concern when I asked, “How often does this happen?”

Melly shook her head, realized what she was doing with the spoon, rinsed it and handed it to me. “Not a lot, and still too much. It’s the shouting. The slamming doors. The ugly words hurled at him.” She looked at me again. “Was she always like this?”

“She’s never been a warm woman, not even to the kids, though she didn’t hide her love for Guillaume, so no, it’s never been like this. I’ve actually never heard them fight like they did yesterday, and definitely not today.”

She gave a curt nod. “There’s all kinds of abuse, I’m sure you know. She hits him and pushes him and scratches him. But the things she says to him. It’s awful, Wyn. I completely understand why he’s with Estelle. What I don’t understand is why he stays with Mrs. Gastineau.”

“Is she…appropriate with you?” I asked carefully.

“She thinks I’m her ally, and I’ll admit, I make it so she does. I don’t agree with her when she complains about Mr. Gastineau, but I nod and make sounds that she might interpret as that. I do it hoping, if she gets it out with me, she’ll be nicer to him. Or hoping he’ll see I can take care of her, handle her, and he can find some happiness.”

She straightened from the sink, turned fully to me and kept going before I could say anything.

“You know, he isn’t going to be around forever either. Estelle is younger than him. She isn’t, like, some arm candy type of person. She’s in her late sixties. But she has time…they could have time to be happy. Because one thing I know, she’s given up half her life to be with him, having him and not having him, because she loves him more than I’ve ever seen anyone love anybody, except for how much Remy loves you.”

Except for how much Remy loves you.

Estelle loved Guillaume how Remy loved me.

My heart, which I had not yet had the time to bandage together, hurt even more at hearing that.

“And just to be clear, I’ll stay on,” she continued. “I helped nurse her through the last cancer situation. I’ll help this time. She trusts me. She likes me. I’ll never let her think differently. So you can trust me. You and Remy. But Mr. Gastineau…”

She hesitated, then forged on.

“It’s getting worse. And it’ll get even more so. And maybe in a world where things are cut and dried, you can say what he’s done, having two ladies he loves, is the wrong thing. But it isn’t. In this instance, it isn’t. Because…yes, Mrs. Gastineau needs someone just like him to love her despite who she is. And Mr. Gastineau needs someone just like Estelle, who loves him for all that he is.”

I felt the tears welling up, and as Melly watched me, I saw them well up in her too.

To try to put her at ease, my voice slightly husky, I said, “Obviously, we’re going to have to deal with this while we’re here. And I will one hundred percent keep you informed. But I thank you, for me, but also for Remy. I thank you for how you’ve cared for them. Both of them. This has to have been a real trial for you, and it means more than I can say that you stuck by them. Truly, Melly, you have our gratitude. From the bottom of our hearts.”

She gave me a jerky head nod, swallowed and grabbed a dishtowel, muttering, “Do you want some breakfast?”

I allowed the change in conversation and asked, “What did you make?”

“There’s fresh biscuits and gravy, or waffles.”

“Maybe we should move here and help out,” I mumbled.

She cracked a grin at that, which brought me at least a little relief.

“I’m going to go for a waffle,” I decided. “But I’m going to check on Yves and get dressed first. Okay?”

She nodded.

I moved to the door.

I didn’t move through it, turning back when Melly called my name.

“I knew it wouldn’t last,” she said.

“What?” I asked, tensing for more information about Guillaume, Colette and Estelle.

“Remy’s and your breakup.”

A gust of air escaped my lips.

“You’re his life,” she went on. “I worried for him a lot. So did his dad, even Mrs. Gastineau. He can breathe without you, but he can’t breathe without you. Do you know what I mean?”

I nodded, having trouble breathing myself.

“You feel the same way,” she said. “So we all worried about you too, I think, even Mrs. Gastineau.”

“It’s been hell,” I replied softly.

“I’m so happy it’s over.”

“Me too, honey,” I said with feeling. “Me too.”

“Yves will want the biscuits,” she declared.

She knew us so well.

Part of the family.

“I’ll make sure there’s plenty left for Sabre and Remy too. And a waffle. For Manon,” she finished.

Yes.

Perfect.

I smiled at her.

Part of the family.