Finding Rose (eBook)

Chapter One

Maureen found herself alone in a room that had oversized mahogany doors polished to a high sheen. She imagined that this room was where the elite came to have cocktail parties in the evening light, complete with big band music and dancing. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She felt the sun on her face and slowly opened her eyes.

The sun was shining brightly through a majestic window that filled one side of the room. The walls seemed to glimmer like gold as the afternoon sun bounced off them, filling the room with warmth. Down the halls, ornate furniture with lush gold fabric lined the walls with deep red drapes and pillows. Large vases bursting with fresh flowers filled the rooms with the smell of spring.

The room had held many parties and joyous celebrations, but not today. No, today the room had a somber effect with chairs lined up in rows to hold the many guests coming to pay their respects.

Dad had died suddenly just over two weeks ago. Maureen stood in the room alone to catch her breath, attempting to pull herself together before the guests arrived. At 5’5”, Maureen was neither short nor tall. She was slender yet curvaceous, which she wasn’t comfortable with. Maureen loved to hike in the mountains, and as a nurse, she got her steps in around the hospital, making it easy to keep her weight down. She wore her straight brown hair at shoulder length, and the cut followed the line of her jaw. Her deep-set eyes were brown with flecks of gold in them. Today she wore only light makeup, knowing it would probably be gone before the day was over. Mom had insisted. She looked out the window at the rolling green hills, taking advantage of fleeting moments of calm.

Maureen knew her dad would have loved knowing his memorial would be held here at the exclusive Los Angeles Country Club. Her brother Grant was a member. He and Dad were a lot alike. Grant Sr. was a doctor in private practice. He was only 5’ 10”, but he stood as if he were at least 6 feet tall. He always held himself with pride, and he had a laugh that could light up an entire room. Mom often said it was Dad’s laughter she fell in love with. He did well enough for himself and his family. Mom never had to work, which allowed her to be the social butterfly. Where Dad had a warm intellect, Mom had a gregarious flare. They were the perfect balance.

At 6’1’, Grant did stand tall. He looked up to Dad and inherited his drive for success, except his ambition was on steroids. He excelled in everything he did—from sports to academics, there seemed to be nothing he couldn’t do. Dad would beam every time a new accolade was bestowed on him. He, of course, married the perfect model, Tiffany, and had a fairytale wedding.

Though Grant had a surfer look with sun-bleached hair and brown eyes, he had an impeccably shrewd mind. It made sense that he went into law; he could charm anyone. Dad was over the moon when Grant Jr. made partner in the firm. He was laser-focused, and he kept his sights on success.

Maureen sighed heavily thinking of her dad. Dad had played golf with Grant here just last month on his 80th birthday. She missed him and wondered if he had been as proud of her as he was of Grant.

As a child, Maureen loved to sit with her dad and read stories. They read adventures and mystery novels and went on walks hand in hand. Grant had come along when she was six years old (a surprise addition), and he changed everything. Dad was so excited to have a son. Maureen knew her dad loved her, but his face never shone as bright as when he looked at Grant. Maureen and her dad still shared secret looks and stories that Grant wasn’t part of, but, over time, they had drifted apart.

When Maureen announced she was going to be a nurse, Dad was over the moon to have someone in the family following his footsteps in the medical field. The day she graduated, he brought her a bouquet of wildflowers and a stethoscope. Maureen reached up as if to touch the piece around her neck, remembering the joy she felt as if it was just yesterday. She wore it every day at work with pride. Graduation was their moment. Grant didn’t like “medical talk”—blood and surgery details would send him flying out the door. Maureen had used this on more than one occasion to have time alone with her dad. She smiled remembering the time she and her dad were enthralled in a controversy about a new surgery technique at dinner and Grant ran out of the room just in time to throw up in the guest bathroom. After that, Mom declared no more shop talk at the table.

A year later, Maureen was gone. She had met and married her now husband of over 30 years, Steve, who had an opportunity to start a small construction company in the foothills outside of Seattle, Washington with a friend.

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After what only felt like a few minutes, Maureen’s quiet time was interrupted as family and friends began to fill the room. Her husband, Steve, walked in with their children and families following closely behind. Steve stood 5’10” with a strong build and gray-hazel eyes. He looked handsome with his salt and pepper hair cut short and neat. He was noticeably uncomfortable in the black suit and tie they had bought for the service, but he pulled it off nicely. Seattle was a more casual atmosphere than here in Beverly Hills, and they both preferred it.

Maureen’s grandson, Nash, who had just turned one, ran down the aisle. To him, this was simply a new playground with lots of places to climb. His exuberance was a blessing. He had bright blue eyes that looked just like his great grandfather’s. Dad will live on through those eyes, Maureen thought. Gabby, the eldest, ran after him. She had flown in for the service from Alaska, where her husband, Matt, was stationed in the Army. While Nash brought excitement, her arrival was always calming for Maureen. Motherhood agreed with her. She looked slim in her fitted black dress and heels. Her long brown hair was curled around her face, and she wore the diamond necklace her father had given her on her wedding day. Matt was helping her corral Nash. He threw Nash into the air and caught him, triggering a boisterous laugh.

Josh, the middle and only boy, was walking in with his younger sister, Grace. Josh was in college. Where Steve was uncomfortable in his suit, Josh filled it out and looked natural. He definitely knew clothes, having worked at Nordstrom for years to pay for school. He was studying personal training and nutrition and was an excellent ad for his future. Grace was a senior in high school. She was 5’ 4”, slim like her sister, with brown hair and green eyes the color of olives. Grace was a natural beauty. She was a social butterfly like her grandmother, Rose.

The whole clan sat down with Maureen, with Steve at her side and the children in the row behind them. Steve took her hand and gave it a squeeze. He was her strength.

Rose entered the room with the style and elegance of a classic movie star. She wore a black knee length dress with a single strand of pearls. Her short, light brown hair had a curl that framed her face under her hat—Mom’s signature accessory. The hat she chose today was black linen with a wide brim, worn low on one side. Black netting with small pearls accented the low slope of the hat. She stood at the door with her head down, slowly raising it until you could see her light green eyes. A small drop of the black netting from the hat almost met her eyes. She looked beautiful. She was quiet and reserved—at least for the moment—willing herself to be strong.

Grant walked up next to Mom in his custom back suit and took her arm to sit her down so the memorial could begin. Tiffany followed, looking as if she had walked straight out of a fashion show, strutting down the runway. Maureen silently groaned watching her. The rest of the guests were filtering in and taking seats. Maureen saw family, friends, patients, and colleagues from Dad’s former practice entering to honor him. She nodded to a few as they sat down around her. The burial had already taken place earlier that day with only family and close friends.

Grant had center stage for the service. He spoke eloquently about Dad, his practice, and his love of golf. The room was filled to the brim, and Grant was captivating. He even managed to weave in a few stories about Maureen and Mom into the mix. The mood was light with just enough somber undertones to be respectful. Maureen could picture Grant talking in front of a jury, taking them on a journey. He and Dad had that in common. Dad was a storyteller. He was always running behind at the office because he was busy sharing life with his patients. It was precisely why people were willing to wait to see him.

Grant finished, and their parents’ long-time pastor came up to the front to speak and share a bit more before it was over. Maureen loved hearing these stories about her dad. They involved the whole family and brought back great memories. The memorial concluded with both laughter and tears; a beautiful celebration of an amazing life.

Guests stopped by Rose, Maureen, and Grant to share their sympathy and quick memories before going out onto the patio for refreshments. Rose held Maureen’s hand and carried on a light conversation. Occasionally, Rose seemed overwhelmed and forgot the name of a longtime friend or got mixed up by the story they were telling. “She’s exhausted,” Maureen would explain. Maureen would often find Rose looking past the crowd at Dad’s portrait—which was on a gilded stand at the front of the room—as if to say,...