Adam and Eve

"Hey, Eve, it's Lily. Missed you at work these past few days. Hope you're getting better. Call me back." Beep!

I sighed at the voice message and rolled my eyes. "You don't miss me," I thought to myself. "I heard what you said about me to Kaylee."

"Miss Garden, this is John Caleb from Worthington's Family Funeral Home. I'm sorry to inform you so indirectly, seeing as you haven't been home in almost a week now, but, your father has passed. I'd love for you to come down and talk to me if you need anything. I'm sorry for your loss and hope to see you at the funeral." Beep!

I dropped my stack of envelopes that had piled up in my mailbox. My father has passed? When? Why? I fell onto the couch, staring ahead at nothing. I haven't seen or spoken to my father in years. And when I finally hear about him, he's dead. My stomach turned uncomfortably and bile was rising in my throat.

"Dad," I rasped.
~
The strong, cold wind nearly knocked me over as I walked up the path to Worthington's Family Funeral Home. John was there to greet me at the door. He was a short, portly man with a receding hairline. He was dressed in a gray suit and black necktie. I searched the pews for people I recognized. One half was family, and the other half were people my father associated with outside the family. My father was married to his work, which is why my parent's divorced in the first place.

I found my mother sitting in the front row. I sat beside her and let out a long, slow sigh.

"I didn't expect you to show up," Mom said to me. I scrutinized her face, finding nothing but stone cold indifference.

"He is my father," I replied, barely raising my voice. "I wish he didn't care so much about money, though."

"I miss him," Mom crooned.

"Evelin Garden?" A man asked, approaching me with an envelope.

"Yes?"

"I'm Allen Armstrong; your father left me in charge of his will. I'm so sorry for your loss- you too, Mrs. Garden."

"Please, call me Silvia." Mom whispered, slowly bowing her head to stare at her hands in her lap. He nodded.

"I came to give you this," Allen said, handing me an envelope to me. "It's a letter of the items your father left in your possession."

"W-what about my mom?" I stuttered, looking from him to her as I took the envelope.

"Silvia will have to come to my office- whenever you have the free time, of course. Mr. Garden left a video for you."

Mom smiled to herself.

"If you have any questions about the items left for you, please call me. My number is on the envelope. And again, I'm very sorry about the death of your father and your husband. He was good man."

"He was. Thank you, Mr. Armstrong." Mom said softly.

"Thank you both for your time." Allen nodded to us, turned, and walked out of the funeral home.

"Are you gonna open it or what?" Mom asked. I was surprised at how selfish she sounded suddenly.

"I don't know, Mom. I don't want to open it right now."

"Fine." She huffed a sigh and slumped forward.

Throughout the service, I restrained myself from going to the casket. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, after all these years of him being gone. People took turns speaking at the podium about my father. I learned faces and names and the roles they played in my father's life. I learned of his successes and failures after he left Mom and me. I was proud of him and hated him so much at the same time.

I drove home before they buried him. I couldn't take anymore. I was too upset to stay any longer. Once home, I went straight to the kitchen and emptied my stomach into the sink without gagging myself. I vomited nothing but acid and I didn't feel a thing. I was used to it.

After a quick shower, I checked my voice mailbox and opened the envelope Mr. Armstrong gave to me. I closed my eyes and unfolded the paper. I quickly skimmed over the letter, not wanting to linger on anything heartfelt. I hate grieving. He wrote that he was sorry for missing out on so much and that he knows he's going to regret it until the day he dies. Huh. Ironic.

He left me two things in my name. A bank account containing over a million dollars and a multi-million dollar estate.

My chest felt heavy and I had to reread the words five times to make sure I'd read it correctly. The information on the bank account and address to the estate were also explained in the letter. I tried to take my mind off the will by turning on the TV. I wrapped up in my throw blanket and sipped hot tea from a coffee mug. I only drank a quarter of it because of the mount of calories. The bright flashing lights of the TV was hurting my eyes and making me dizzy, so I turned away from it.

What did Mom get? Was it as expensive? Did she get a million dollars in her name? Did she get something better?

All the thinking I was doing was exhausting me and I fell asleep, dreaming of my father.