Southern Lady

It's a typical Wednesday afternoon in New York. Not a lot going on, just regular city noises and everyday hustle-bustle. The young woman on the bike is just sliding in and out of people and cars, like a snake in the woods having to navigate around trees and bushes. She's got the earbuds in, shoulder bag on her hip, head down because she's focused on getting to her destination. A couple of stops along the way for a paper, a bagel and a coffee, but eventually she turns down a brownstone street. She stops in front of a particular building, pulls mail out of a box, puts the bike on one shoulder and turns to march down a short set of stairs to the door of her basement apartment. These are just normal daily routines for this young lady, as she confidently moves through her world. But today is about flip on its head.

Mel is flipping through her mail. Bills, bills and junk mail. One thin letter jumps out because the return address. "Why would a lawyer in Georgia send a letter to ME?? WTF???" Mel opens and reads.....

Dear Miss Bernerd, I apologize for having to make your acquaintance under these circumstances. My name is Gregory Philips, Esq., and I am the attorney representing the Estate of a Ms. Eloise Margaret Bernerd. Ms. Eloise Bernerd has recently passed away and according to the research conducted by my office, she was your Great-Great Aunt. I'm not sure of your knowledge of this familial connection, but I can assure you it has been verified on our end. The point is, Miss Bernerd, that the late Ms. Eloise has made provisions for you in her Will. It's a somewhat complicated situation. What I really need from you, is to come here, to Savannah, and visit my office. We need to discuss all of this and we require your signature on multiple documents. Please call me or my office at your earliest possible convenience to make/confirm travel arrangements. I'm sorry, again, for causing any inconvenience. Thank you, Greg Philips

Mel is confused. WTF??? Is this a joke? OK........ this is a long lost plot of some old movie. Some long-lost relative leaves me an unknown, mysterious inheritance..... ok, yeah, whatever. What is it? A bridge in Arizona? A Castle in Romania? What in the world is this?? But somehow her brain is storming. What if it's actually real? She can't call the lawyer without further information on her end. This requires thought, as to what she needs to ask, and how does she need to process this? She takes a minute, throws the letter on the table, and moves on with her normal afternoon, eating her lunch to give herself a minute to think.

First thing Mel does, about 30 minutes later, is call her mom. It instantly goes to VM, which means her phone is off. No battery charge, or no cell signal. "Hey mom. Just got a weird letter from this lawyer about an apparent death in the family in Georgia. Not sure what is going on, but I'm going to call this guy's office to try to get more information. Do we even have distant family in Georgia? How do I not know about it? Just call me back ASAP. Love ya." Well, she could wait around for her Mom to call her back, or she could just bite the bullet and handle this herself. So, the next thing she does is call Mr. Philips. A pleasant older sounding man, with a thick southern drawl, answers the phone. "Philips, Harrison and Brown" ....

"Hi, yes. I'm trying to reach Mr. Gregory Philips. Is he available?"

"Yes. I'm Greg Phillips. I'm the only one in the office at the moment, so I get to handle the phones. What can I do for you?"

Somehow, Mel is immediately charmed by him and finds herself smiling into the phone. "Hi, yes, this is Mel Bernerd. I mean Melody, Melody Bernerd in New York. I just received an odd letter from your office today concerning the death of a supposed relative of mine, a Ms. Eloise Bernerd. Can you tell me what's going on? Are you sure you have the correct Melody Bernerd?? I've never heard of an Eloise Bernerd in my whole life. This might be a whole big mistake..."

Mel hears "Oh, good, Ms. Bernerd, yes, thank you for calling, just give me a moment....." Then noises of a lot of opening and closing of a file cabinet. Shuffling of papers. "First, yes, you are the correct person. I am totally convinced of that much, at the very least. I am totally willing to go over the entire situation, but I would REALLY prefer to have this conversation in person, face to face. Mostly because it would take to long to go over in a phone call. Also, there are documents that have to be signed, you know, formalities. I need you to dot the 'i's' and cross the t's, that type of thing. Unfortunately, I can't come to you, which is the typical way this situation would be handled, with an out-of-town client. But I really cannot leave town this week. My daughter is getting married this weekend, and my family would kill me if I tried to squeeze in time to fly to New York and back. My calendar is booked solid this entire week. Now, if you were to come down here, then I can make arrangements to take a meeting with you, tomorrow, meaning Thursday evening, for dinner. The official reading of the Will is already scheduled for Friday afternoon at my office. I can have someone pick you up at the airport and we'll pay for a Suite at the nicest hotel in town for the whole weekend. My secretary will be back from lunch in about an hour. Call back then or anytime before 5, give her your flight details, and I'll give her authorization to handle all the arrangements for whatever you need. It would really help me out for you to do this and I'd really appreciate your cooperation."

Mel felt kinda backed into a corner by this guy, but gently. He may be a country bumpkin lawyer.. but... he was very skilled at getting people to see things his way and do what he wanted. She found herself saying "It may take until tomorrow morning to get things set up and call you with details. But I can tell you I will make my best effort to arrive tomorrow afternoon." She could almost hear him smiling into the phone. "Thank you, Ms. Bernerd. We will speak again very soon. Bye for now."

Mel hung up... still not sure exactly what just happened... decided to try to call her mom again. She had totally meant to tell the lawyer that she needed him to just e-mail the documents. Now, apparently, she was flying to Georgia for the weekend. Thankfully, this time her mom answered "Hey. Where were you earlier? Did you get my voicemail ???"

"I know sweetie, sorry. I had ran to the market and when the phone rang, I was coming home with bags in my hands. I couldn't get to my phone. Then Ms. Rosenbaum was sitting on the stoop and just HAD to tell me ALL ABOUT her knee surgery. Sorry, it took me a minute to get in the house. I listened to your voicemail, but I wanted to get home where I could sit down and talk properly. So, what are you saying about a death in the family?? Go ahead, talk now, what's going on, what happened ?"

"Do you know the name Eloise Margaret Bernerd? Is she a member of the family? I know I don't know the name, but lots of people have distant relations that they have never met." "No, I don't think so", said Mary. "What side of the family is she supposedly on? How many generations back?"

"Well, I assume she's on Dad's side, because she's a Bernerd. If she was related to you, her name would be Chase, right? And the attorney only said she was a great-great aunt. So that would mean a sister of a grandparent, I think. I know Dad has 2 brothers, no sisters, and I don't think Grandpa Marty had any sisters. But I really don't know much about the older layers of the family. That's why I'm calling you. And what about the Georgia connection? Has the Bernerd family ever lived in Georgia? I thought we were from New York. We moved to Brooklyn back when Grandpa Marty was a boy, right? You and dad were both born in Brooklyn. Seems like I remember someone talking about growing up in Buffalo, but the Bernerd's have always lived in New York State. Is that right?? "

"Um, yes. Your Dad and his brothers were all born here in Brooklyn. And, if I remember correctly, Grandpa Marty and his brothers were born in Buffalo, and moved to the City when Marty was a boy, I think. I'm surprised you remember that, it was so long ago. You were just a little kid when Martin and Alice were still alive. As for the rest of the family history, you'll have to ask your dad. You know your Dad, he doesn't talk about family much. I knew his parents and Joe is still close to his brothers, but the Bernerd's are not an especially 'close-knit' family. I mean, the only time we all get together in one place is around Thanksgiving and Christmas. But as far as I know, the Bernerd's never lived in Georgia. But, like I said, your Dad would know more. He'll be home in an hour. I'll tell him what's going on and have him call you after dinner. But, what's going on with this Georgia lawyer? Who is he? What info does he have on you that he mailed you this letter in the 1st place? So this lady died. How does that have anything to do with you? It's sad that she died alone, separated from her family. But there could be more than one Melody Bernerd out there in the world, someone else with your name. How did he find you?"

"I kinda thought the same thing . I think I even said that, that this might just be a big mistake. His reply was that he's totally convinced that I'm the right person. He said he's more than happy to go over the entire 'situation' in detail, but he needs to do it in person so that I can be there to sign papers. We're supposed to be meeting for dinner tomorrow evening. And before you ask, no, he apparently can't just mail me the forms, and he can't leave town at the moment, to come up here. From what I understand, the reading of the Will is going to be Friday afternoon, and my presence has been requested. The way Mr. Philips put it, she made 'provisions' for me. I take that to mean, she left me some kind of inheritance. Have no idea what, but I guess I have to go and receive it in person. So, I'm going to fly to Georgia sometime tonight or early tomorrow. I haven't worked out all the details yet, but it shouldn't be hard to plan out. It's going to be quick, just down and back, and I'll be back to work on Monday. I mean I've traveled all over the world, for weeks at a time, to work on a story. This should be a piece of cake to plan a flight that's only 700 miles. Couple of hours on a plane is absolutely no problem. And the lawyer is paying for a Suite for the weekend. Nice little holiday"

"Ok, sweetheart. I know you can handle it. Do you need any extra funds or anything, for the flight or motel, or spending money? Or do you want me to pick up your mail or anything? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, I don't think so. This should be pretty easy, logistically speaking. I'm only gonna be gone 3 or 4 days. I just don't wanna get down there and find out it was all a big case of mistaken identity and a complete waste of time. So have Dad call me, okay? After dinner, as soon as he can, you know? Love you, mom. Talk to you later."

Mel got off the phone. There was nothing to do now but wait to talk to her Father. So, she did what she could while she waited. She changed into her favorite T-Shirt and shorts. She got on the laptop and purchased her tickets to Florida. A flight at 3AM was less than ideal, but easily doable. She pulled out the suitcase and started packing, which didn't take long because she was only going for a few days. Mel threw a load of laundry in the wash and then sat on the couch to make a few phone calls. First, she called her boss, Jake, at the paper to request time off until Monday. "Yeah, I know it's short notice. But, I literally just got the notification letter myself this afternoon. I'm flying down at 3 AM, instead of waiting until a reasonable hour. But all I really HAVE to do is the reading of the Will on Friday afternoon. I'm about to have a 4-day weekend in a major city, full of Southern History. I've never been to Savannah, maybe I'll do some sightseeing. Maybe I'll come back and do a op-ed piece on what it means to be a modern Southern Lady.' Mel said with a laugh."Thanks, Jake. I'll have my phone and laptop with me all weekend, so you can easily call, text, email, whatever, if anything major pops up that I need to handle. Otherwise, I'll see you on Monday."

Second call was to the girlfriend, Alex. "Hey babe. Did you just get up? You sound rushed, you're breathing like you've been running." "Yeah, I overslept, now I'm running late, so I don't have time to make my lunch or eat anything now or I'm gonna miss my train. I'll just eat out of the canteen at the hospital. God knows, I'm gonna be starving by midnight. I'll feel like eating canteen crap by then" "Well, give me 5 minutes now, and I promise I'll bring you lunch later." "I get to have lunch with my favorite person? At midnight?? SOLD!! Ok, you have 5 minutes. GO!" " Well, I'll have to explain more later, when I see you. Long story short, I have a long lost great-great Aunt, that recently died in Savannah, Georgia, and she left me some kind of inheritance in her Will. I'm flying down to Georgia in the middle of the night to be there." "WHAT?? That's crazy, for real?! I have so many questions now, and no time to ask them. Jeez, talk about a dropping a bombshell ... That sounds like an old plot of some movie. Ok, well, your coming by with my lunch, right? Bring my fav takeout from Carlucci's and prepare to be interrogated. Gotta run, babe. Love you." Mel said, 'love you' back, but Alex was already gone. Mel smiled. Okay, one more phone call,

The female voice on the phone was so sweetly southern Mel would be surprised if she didn't have cavities. "Philips, Harrison and Brown, how may I help you? The gentleman are all out, but I can take a message and have them return your call." "Um, yes. My name is Melody Bernerd and I spoke with Mr. Philips earlier. I'm coming into town and he wanted me to call his secretary with my details. Are you the secretary?" "Oh yes, ma'am. I'm the secretary, assistant, paralegal, barista, fashionista, sometimes seamstress, and EMT, depending on the situation. I can type up a legal brief, help one of my gentleman pick out the correct tie and put a band-aid on a paper-cut all in one afternoon. Don't you worry, hun. We'll get you all squared away, no problem. Mr. Philips left me with strict instructions on what to do for you. So when's your flight?" Mel found herself taking an instant liking to this powerhouse of a woman. The call was all business, but Mel found herself smiling pleasantly. I can't wait to meet her in person, she thought.

Mel was still just puttering around her apartment a couples hours later, doing laundry and random little chores while packing. Finally, the phone rang and the caller ID said 'DAD'. Mel grabbed the phone, snuggled into the corner of the couch, and answered "Daddy! Finally! I was afraid you weren't going to call tonight. Did Mom talk to you about our situation?"

"Hi, baby girl! Sorry I'm late. Ended up having to work late which threw everything else late. It bothered your mom because I ate a cold dinner. I'm fine, but your mom thinks I must be treated to a hot, home-cooked meal every day. I can eat a cold-cut sandwich, same as the next guy, and survive. Believe it or not, I could even cook for myself if I had to. But, enough about that. So, I've been thinking about your little situation. Why don't you fill me in on the whole story. Who is this lawyer, read the letter to me and tell me what he has said so far." Mel told him everything, which wasn't much, but now he had the full picture. When she finished, her dad was quiet at first, obviously thinking. "Hmmmm... Well, I have good news and bad news. But this may or may not help. At the very least, you'll be better equipped to talk to the lawyer. "

"Jeez, Dad. Spit it out. Could you be any MORE vague? You know I'm an Investigative Journalist for a reason, right? My brain has been about to explode for hours now. I have SOOO many questions, and the only 2 people that can answer them at this point, are you and the lawyer. So tell me, so I can fill up some gaps in my brain. Who the hell is Eloise Bernerd??"

"Um, I'm not sure." Joe chuckled. "Not SURE??? How do you not know if someone is a member of your family? Do I need to call Uncle Tony or Uncle Stephen and ask them what they remember about your grandparents? " "No, no, all I said was I'm not sure. I don't recognize that name and I don't remember ever meeting a female relative above my Aunts. But those were women that married into the family, married my Uncles. But, your story makes me think of GPapa. I only have a very few memories of him. He spoke broken English, mostly German with a few English words sprinkled in with a heavy accent. When I was 10, he was in his late '60's and he had a stroke, which limited his speech even more. Nobody could understand him, he spoke gibberish. That's what it sounded like to my young ears. He lived with us for awhile until he died, a year after his stroke. My mom and aunt cared for him. That was back in 1981 and I was 11 by then. But, I do have one specific memory of him, and I only really remember it, because he used to say this one word over and over and over. "Schwester". Every time anybody would come near, he would grab at them and say that word. One afternoon, I was there with him by myself, or so I thought, and he was yelling. I felt like it was my responsibility to take care of him, because all the grown ups were out at the moment. So, I heard him yelling or moaning or calling out, making noise. I poked my head into his room and he was waving his hand at the cup of water on the night stand by the bed. I asked him if he wanted water, he nodded yes, so I tip-toed in and picked up the cup and straw. How hard can it be to give somebody a sip of water, you know? I could do this. Mom and Dad would be proud of me for being a good helper, and my older brothers would be impressed that I was so brave to be in there with him by myself. But, as I turned toward him to put the straw in his mouth, he grabbed me. Grabbed my shirt as best he could with his claw-like hands. I dropped the cup to the floor and just about jumped out of my skin. He shook me and pulled me close and yelled 'Schwester! Schwester!" in my face. There was a whole bunch of other German words blended in there, but I wasn't listening and I didn't understand. I was just struggling to get away, I was scared to death, I think I was yelling "Stop. Let me go.", pushing away from him, something like that. Finally my dad came in, jerked me away from GPapa, pushed me towards the door, yelled at me to Get Out, and started fussing at GPapa in German. It seemed like it took an hour, but I found out later my Dad was home the whole time. He was just working out in the yard and I didn't know it. I was probably only in that room a few minutes. The end of it was, I looked back at GPapa as I was closing the bedroom door and he was quietly crying on my Dad's shoulder. The one and only time I've ever seen a man in my family cry. If I remember correctly, that was about a week before he died."

"That's so sad, Dad. That poor old man, stuck in a body that didn't work, unable to communicate. That's just sad. Wasn't there any way to get him help, or therapy, or a translator, anything?? I feel bad for him. But, obviously, your dad, his son spoke German. Did nobody think to try to translate what he was saying? What did he mean? Did you ever find out what "schwester" means, at least?"

"Well, what I'll say is this. It was 1981, so medical advances weren't then what they are now. Back then, a stroke was more of a death sentence then it is now. And I was just a little kid. Mom and Dad would wait till us kids were in bed to discuss family business, in hushed tones, behind closed doors. It's not like they included us kids in major family decisions. So, I don't really know all the details. All I really remember is, we went to pick him up from the hospital in Buffalo and brought him to live with us. Looking back, maybe it was because we had the biggest house, with the 3 bedrooms. Your Uncle Tony had to give up his bedroom and move back in with Stephen and me." Joe chuckled. "I remember there being several arguments about that. Tony was 14, Stephen was 12 and I was 10. He was a teenager having to move back into the nursery with the babies, or so he thought. He made his displeasure known, VERY loudly, to anyone that would listen. Tony was in a twist the whole summer over that decision. Back to GPapa, I don't think there was enough money for a nurse to care for him, or pay for a nursing home. He lived with us, that was it. My mom, your Grandma Alice, took over most of his care. Every once in awhile my Aunt Grace, my Uncle Matt's wife, would come over and help out when Mom had to go out or whatever. Like I said, I only have very few memories of this."

"As far as translating his gibberish, well, again, I was just a kid. To me, he was just the weird, old, invalid man that lived in my brothers room. Who spoke gibberish nonsense. I know my Dad and my uncles spoke fluent German, and seemed to be the only ones who could understand him at all. I seem to remember a few times, me or one of us kids would ask "What did he say? What does bleh ba blah mean?" I know, me at least, I was always told, 'Don't worry about it, or Go play, or It's nothing, It's not important', that sort of thing. I never got an answer. Eventually, I stopped asking. So, especially after he died, it all just faded into childhood memories. It wasn't until I was in college that I happened to remember GPapa and "schwester". So I looked it up. "Schwester" means 'sister' in German."

"Sister? So GPapa had a sister? So that's it, Dad. Jeez! Why didn't you tell me that to begin with?? Who was she? Do you remember her?"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down. First of all, I remember nothing about anyone named Eloise. I told you that. Obviously, GPapa had a wife at some point, because how else would my dad and my 3 uncles have gotten here? If I remember correctly, her name was Patricia. But, I never met her. She died in childbirth after my dad, he was the youngest. My dad didn't even have any memories of her because I think he was 3 days old when she died. She wasn't talked about very often, that I can remember. Thinking back on it as an adult, my dad probably had a difficult childhood, being the youngest of 4 boys raised by a German immigrant single father, back during the Great Depression. I guess Dad raised Tony, Stephen and me the same way he was raised. We just don't really talk about things that are difficult or emotional, and that includes family matters. Secondly, the other thing is, "schwester" means sister, like a female sibling, that's true. But it could also be used to mean a Holy Sister, as in a Nun, or 'schwester' can also refer to a nurse, which my mom was for GPapa. So, just that he said this word is not 100% proof that he had a female sibling. That's why I said I'm not sure. He might have, maybe, but I don't know."

"Wow. So it really is still a mystery. I wonder who she was. And what about the Georgia connection? She lived and died in Savannah, did GPapa ever live in Georgia? I thought the Bernerd's have always lived in New York state. Is there a whole different branch of the Bernerd family living in Georgia all these years??"

"It's an interesting family mystery, yes, to be sure. I know GPapa lived in Buffalo when he had his stroke, because we had to go to the hospital there to collect him. And Dad and his brothers would all tell childhood stories about growing up in Buffalo. But where GPapa had lived BEFORE Buffalo, I have no idea. Evidently, it's possible they could have moved TO Buffalo, New York FROM Savannah, Georgia at some point. This would have happened way before my father was even born. It would have been before Uncle Matt was born. Or at least when he was a baby, because he only ever talked about Buffalo memories. At least that's what I remember. I haven't thought about all this in over 50 years, you do realize this, right?"

"Ok. I know. I'm just so curious. I live for mysteries like this. Solving puzzles is what I do for a living. Well, thanks for that little bit. 'Schwester".... Hmmm... that's a lead, I guess. Maybe I'll get more answers once I get to Savannah." "So you're going to go and investigate this?" Joe asks, skeptically. "Of course. I feel like I have to, Dad. I mean this poor old lady died alone and I feel like she didn't have any close family around her. Otherwise, why would you reach out to some distant relative that you've never met, a stranger that lives on the other side of the country, to try to leave them some kind of inheritance? Even if I'm not the correct Mel Bernerd, I just feel sad for this old lady. And I get a free 4-day vacay to Savannah out of the deal, so okay. Its been a long time since I've been on a trip that wasn't business related. Maybe I'll do some sightseeing, take some pretty pictures and meet some interesting people." "Ok, sweetheart. You're a capable, professional young woman. Who also happens to be a skilled investigative journalist. I know you can handle whatever comes up. Just do me a favor, please call me every night. Keep me in the loop, especially after you talk to this Mr. Philips, lawyer fellow, after dinner. I want to be there, if only through you. If he proves you to be legitimately related to this lady, remember it's my family history too. Keep me updated, okay. I wanna learn about it too. I love you sweetheart. Be safe."

Later that night, Mel is sitting in a mostly empty parking lot under a street light. Mel looks up as this bouncy, smiling black girl bursts out the side door, laughing at something someone behind her had said. She turns, spots Mel's car and if possible, her face lit up even more and she waved. This is Alex and, for probably the thousandth time since they first met, Mel is so thankful to have a girlfriend that is so perfect for her. They have the same sense of humor, same opinions about politics, fashion, the same taste in most everything, including Carlucci's Italian takeout. And she worked hard as an ER nurse...on the nightshift....in Brooklyn, New York. To say she was tough was an understatement. But, her crazy schedule fit perfectly in Mel's crazy schedule as a reporter. They just fit together so well. "Hey baby!" Alex said as she got in and shut the door. A quick kiss and Mel handed Alex her food. "OMG, YESSSSSS!!! Can't tell you how hungry I am. I've been dreaming about this ravioli for hours. I'm starving!!! Let's just eat first." For the next half hour or so, Alex and Mel happily, simply ate and listened to the radio, just chit-chatted and enjoyed each others company. Finally, dinner was done. Carry-out containers stuffed in the bag, Alex flipped the radio off, turned in her seat and grabbed Mel's hand. "Ok, so tell me your big news. What's the deal with this mysterious inheritance?" Mel told her everything, about the letter, and the lawyer, and everything her Dad had said. When she had finished, Alex just sat there for a few minutes. "Whoa. That's heavy. Ok, so you said that this lawyer is pretty confident that you are this lady's niece. And your Dad confirmed the possibility that his GPapa had a long lost sister. But, why was she lost? Why did the family get separated in the first place? Was there some kind of family fight? That's what's going on in my head. Is there any way to find out? Are any of the old members of the family left?"

Mel had to think about that for a minute. "Well, I hadn't thought about it that far. I just assumed my dad would know about her. He didn't. But, this is what I know. GPapa had 4 sons. Grandpa Marty was the one related to me, he was my dad's dad. My dad's parents, Grandpa Marty and Grandma Alice, died in a car wreck when I was like 5 or 6. I think only one of Grandpa Marty's brothers is still alive, and if I remember correctly, he ended up in a nursing home years ago. Marty was the youngest, so the brother would have to be in his 80's by now, maybe even older, if he's even still alive. Not sure. He would be/would've been my Great Uncle, but I don't even remember his name. You know, I've never thought much about my family until today, and how little I really know about them. I mean, I'm an only child, so I'm close to my Mom and Dad. I think of myself as a good daughter. I call them at least once a week, sometimes more, go over there for dinner whenever I'm invited and always spend the holidays with the whole family. I know my dad's brothers, my Uncles Tony and Stephen, and their wives and kids. But I never really see them very often. Uncle Stephen works with Dad at the lumber company. But that's it. I don't know anything about Mom's parents or grandparents, or the Bernerd family history at all. I had no idea that Bernerd was a German name until today. That's kinda sad."

"Well, don't feel to bad, sweetheart. In this day and age, people aren't as close to their families as they used to be. Nowadays, relatives live hundreds of miles apart, go years without seeing each other in person and only communicate via Skype or Facetime. It's the new normal, I guess. The old Norman Rockwell picture of the husband, wife, grandma, grandpa, and all the kids gathered together around a hot meal, well, that really doesn't exist any more. Sad but true. Look at me. I grew up with a single mom in the Projects in Queens. I was cared for and Momma loves me and did her best to take care of me. But I remember seeing guys coming and going, spending the night, when I was a kid. I never knew who I'd meet in the kitchen when I was trying to make my lunch for school. I've never met my dad, I'm not sure Momma even knows who he is. Then my Uncles and Aunties. My Momma has at least 7 brothers and 3 sisters. Most of those are half-siblings. I've only met a few of them over the years, at like Christmas or Momma's birthday cook-outs. They usually show up drunk, or high, or a fight will break out. So yeah, I'm a cliche'. I come from a broken home and a dysfunctional family. But I think I turned out ok. I still care about people enough that I wanna help them. I put myself through nursing school at night, and now I'm working my way through med school. So don't beat yourself up to much about not knowing your family. I survived childhood better than most, and you survived better than me, so it's okay."

"You're right, of course. But, I guess my mom and dad are old school. It's been this way my whole life. My mom insists on having a home cooked meal on the table for dinner. My parents have a evening schedule and you can set your life clock by it. Mom cooks dinner, Dad comes home from work, they eat. Dad actually just mentioned this tonight. He got home late, dinner was cold and Mom was a little upset about it. And there are no electronics allowed to interrupt dinner. The phone will NOT be answered. When I lived at home, it used to drive me crazy. But at dinner time, we talk to each other about our day, what we did, homework assignments, or issues Dad had at work, or new gossip Mom had heard from the neighbors, whatever. Then Dad gets up, goes in the living room to his chair. He pours himself a Scotch and watches the news. Mom does the dishes and then goes to take a shower and get ready for bed. I would usually do my homework and then spend the rest of the night talking on the phone to my friends. That was my life, every night, my entire childhood. Family's important to me, I guess. But, I guess I'm realizing how little I know them as an adult. I mean think about it. Whether this lady is truly related to me or not, it's just sad to think about. It sounds like she died, living all alone, in Georgia, by herself. How sad is that? To not have any family with you at the end. It's horrible."

"Well, do you want company this weekend? Do you want family to be with you through this?" "What do you mean?" Alex paused a second and said "Well, this is what I'm thinking. You know I get every other weekend off, and this is my weekend. So, I don't have to be back until Monday, just like you. I work tonight, I get off at 6 AM, and then I'm off until 6 PM Monday. So I'll go home, get some sleep, and catch a flight to come to Savannah with you. We'll sightsee on Saturday and fly back Sunday night or Monday morning. It might be fun. And you might need moral support for the reading of the Will, who knows.

"Ok, babe. That does sound like fun. Let's do it...... Our first official vacation together. Sounds like fun. As far as 'moral support' goes, I doubt I'll need it. The inheritance is probably just some old jewelry or some such thing. I don't expect much. Don't think anyone sane would leave anything of great value to a complete stranger. Okay, my flight is at 3 am and your lunch hour is pretty much over. We have to go. I'll be getting into Savannah about the time you're getting off work. I'll try to call you and give you the hotel info. I'm probably going to bed as soon as I get to the hotel and will sleep most of the day tomorrow. Then I'm supposed to meet Mr. Philips tomorrow evening for dinner. I'll let you know. we'll be in touch." They took a few minutes to share some kisses and within 10 minutes, Alex was gone. Mel watched her walk back inside the building, started the car and pulled away, headed to the airport.