Nov 6. A story within a story.

 Day 6 of FlashNano 2022. Write a story within a story.

 

"I'm homeless." Casey said. 

"Don't be ridiculous," Jessica her older sister said. "You live in a dorm. Last summer you only came came home three days in June and three before going back to school."

Casey brushed a cobweb from her hair. She sneezed from the attic dust. "I was waitressing on the Cape for the summer."

Jessica moved opened another box. It contained prom dresses. "We need to get this stuff downstairs for the estate sale."

"You're taking all the Christmas stuff." Casey pointed to the Villeroy and Boch Christmas dishes and the decorations that had been part of every Christmas that Casey could remember.

"And since you're HOMELESS, where would you keep it?" When Casey didn't answer, she continued. "Bill and I've a home. When you have one, maybe you can take some of this stuff."

The young women continued to sort through the detritus of their childhoods loving stored in boxes and sealed with grey duct tape.

"I can't believe Mom will be happy in a suburban condo after this." Casey loved the big Victorian house a few blocks from Harvard Square. How could her mother sell it? And the condo? Only two bedrooms? The second would be her Mom's office with a sofa bed if Casey visited. Visited? 

And how could her Mom have her Dad cremated in Paris and not try and get the ashes? He'd died in car crash not far from where Princess Di had died. Her Dad had spent at least a week in Paris every month. Sometimes he only made it back a day after Christmas. Life sucked.

Jess listened to Casey's questions for the umpty umph time since they'd become half orphans. She gave an exasperated sigh along with an eye roll in a way that only a big sister can manage. 

"Almost done girls?" Mom's voice came from the bottom of the attic stairs.

"Come up," Jess said. "We have to tell Casey the truth."

Twenty minutes later, settled over a pot of hot chocolate the three women looked at each other. During the making of the chocolate Jess and Mom had argued about telling Casey until Casey demanded to know what they were hiding.

"Your father had a second family in Paris. I've known about it for ten years, but we stayed together for you girls."

"I learned about it five years ago, but I thought it better not to tell you until you finished at Simmons," Jess said. "You were such a Daddy's girl."

"You have two half brothers," Mom said. "I've met them all." Casey remembered her mother going to Paris once and coming back unhappy. 

"Anne-Marie was caught up in Paul's folly as I was. Under different circumstances we might have been friends. She got him less than we did. And to be realistic, I can now go ahead and live my own life."

When Casey stopped crying, Mom handed her a tissue. "I'm sorry. Life is not a fairy tale. We do the best with what we've dealt. Now let's get this stuff ready for the sale."