Chapter Five

Moving On

Lysandra did get talked into going to her graduation. Her siblings demanded it. They cheered as she walked across the stage and then took her out to dinner where they ate fancy foods and drank expensive wine. Well, she did, and Lander did. The others enjoyed their fancy smancy non-alcoholic drinks. They all knew the elephant in the room, but they were determined to actually live. Just because their hearts and souls ached it didn’t mean they could stop living. Their parents wouldn’t want that; never that. A weekend in Chicago was a good thing.

“It is almost June. Lander is going back to Ann Arbor, to be back for a couple weeks in August. What about you Sandy?” Leo asked as he cut his steak with a smile. “They did good, it still looks like it could moo.”

The others chuckled and Lysandra rolled her eyes. “Getting the farm in order. Going over paperwork, all the stuff none of you want to do.”

“You are the one that wants to be the lawyer!” Lucian stated with a laugh.

“True, true. But that is going to take a long time. The holdings we hold are worldwide.”

“Nothing shocking in the paperwork through?” Leo asked.

“Not so far, but something seems to be missing from the paperwork. And Dad’s combo for the safe is missing.”

“Missing?” Lavaina frowned. “He always kept the other safe combos in his wallet.”

“Yeah, it isn’t in his wallet or in any of his desk drawers. Has any of you ever seen inside of that safe in his office?”

The others shook their heads as Leo answered. “No, it was personal Dad said.”

Lysandra waved it off. “Don’t worry. Worse case it is homemade porn and I have to hire a locksmith.” Her siblings snorted. Knowing their parents, it was possible. Of course, Lysandra also knew there were some shady dealings in the family as well.

“Well, don’t bury yourself in it.” Lander stated. “We can help.”

“I know. Excuse me, I see one of my friends.” Lysandra went to greet the group. A lot of her classmates were celebrating at John’s Fine Dining. It was after all one of the top restaurants in Chicago right now. She really used it as an excuse to walk outside for a moment. She turned the corner and took a breath of the night air. Right now, she was missing her parents most of all. It was one of those moments that they should be celebrating with her. It was because of them she had that piece of paper today. Their support, their love. “They should be here.” She whispered to the night, which was clear yet starless due to the city lights. Artificial lights, just like the artificial smile when she gave her speech at graduation today.

Leo followed her out. She may be able to take care of herself, but she wasn’t sober. Leo saw the tears and swallowed his own. His mother should be here snapping pictures with her phone and complaining about the lighting. Their father should be standing there next to Lysandra telling the world how proud he was of his daughter and telling random strangers about his kids. They would have bought the most expensive bottle of wine and toasted to Lysandra and her next step. They would have laughed and made jokes before all of them went back to their hotel and cracking open some cheap beers and telling tall tales. Leo swallowed hard. “I wish my parents were still here.” He whispered to his reflection that stared back at him from the window of the restaurant.

Lysandra moved to go back in, she gave a sad smile when she saw Leo. She moved over and threw an arm around his waist; the boys were much taller than she was. “Thank you, Lion.” She whispered.

“I know they should be here, but at least the six of us are here and trying to live through the numbing pain.”

“As they would have wanted.”

Leo nodded. “Let’s get back to the others.” He led her into the restaurant.

Three nights later they were back at the farmhouse. Lander on his way back to Ann Arbor, Lucius and Lucian were in bed. Leo was over at his girlfriend’s ‘studying’. Lavina went out and crawled up into the loft. She looked over the fields. She knew Lysandra was still in their father’s office. Well, her office now. Lysandra had ‘walked’ the fields for the first time in a long time that day. They had a family meeting in the morning. Lysandra found the wills. It had shocked them all that their parents hadn’t had joint wills. It had shocked them when Lysandra had told them almost everything was split. The only thing with both names was the house. Even the land was only in father’s name. After reading the wills tomorrow they knew they had to make choices, and right now it was leaning towards who was going to buy the other five out. Or if they were just going to totally sell. Lavina knew through, deep down, in the end Lysandra would buy them all out and in a few years, she might sell, but most likely lease the land, keeping the land in the family as it had been since their blood settled there generations ago. Lavina was still wondering what the hell those documents gave Lysandra such a hard time. And she didn’t understand why their parents allowed everything to become so convoluted and leaving their eldest to clean the mess up. Lavina didn’t think she could forgive her parents for doing this to her family. She could sense Lysandra changing. Something that could be good or bad.

Lavina knew her sister could be conceited. But really was the change she was starting to see for the better? She wasn’t smiling as much. She was drinking more. She was becoming quiet and withdrawn. She was becoming someone that she didn’t recognize. Lavina always believed that Lysandra overcompensated for her low self-esteem. Lavina wasn’t stupid. Their parents put the world on Lysandra. For each minor infraction it would be a punishment and a half for her. When she grew order they are the ones that pushed her to that fucking loser she dated. Their parents pushed her to law. Their parents dictated her life. Her only act of rebellion was the Army versus the Navy or Marine Corps. Their father had been furious when he found out that she joined the Army JROTC in middle school, continued to the ROTC in High School and then joined the Army when she graduated. Lavania knew that her act of rebellion did not go unpunished. While their mother was mostly emotional and verbal, their father did love his belt. They loved their parents, but there was a reason that they could laugh at the funeral. The reason is that they could try to move on without too much pain. Their parents were known for their extreme mood swings. From spoiling and loving and nurturing to abusive and damaging and cold. Lavina stared up at the sky. She closed her eyes. “How I wish they were here so I can ask them why they were the way they were with Lysandra. Why everything is a mess and divided. Just why.” She closed her eyes and let the pain wash over her before she pushed it back and let her mind wonder as she started to name the constellations in her head.

Lucius had watched Lavina go to the hayloft. He looked to where Sandy was still trying to figure out all the paperwork. Lucius was trying to do his homework for his online classes at MIT. He was being distracted though by the fact something was bothering Sandy more than she was letting on, what exactly did she find in the documents? He had to know. “Sandy?”

Lysandra looked up from the birth certificate, it was hers and the name on the birth certificate was not Tia Tiburtinus. Oh, it had her father listed. The signature of her father, Nero, was clear as day. But her mother was not Tia. In fact, the spot for mother was blank. That means her father had another birth certificate made up when he gained custody of her; and then when Tia adopted her. The papers were there as well. But the signature was blacked out, of her birth mother. It was done in Sharpie. So, her mom had known she would see these someday. She was still trying to get into her father’s safe. She felt that is where the answers were going to lie. She smiled at Lucius. “Luc, what baby boy?”

“What is bothering you?”

“So, you know the wills divided everything up into six, right?”

“Yes, and we are having a meeting with the lawyer soon. But you will just buy us out and put most of the money into trust funds and such. So?”

She handed him the birth certificate. She wasn’t going to hide it from her siblings. They were too close for that. “Our mom wasn’t my mother. I am sure the answer is in dad’s safe.”

“So, let’s blast the thing open.” Lucius was shocked. People always commented on how Lysandra was so much like their mother. And they all looked similar. Extremely. “Genetically speaking, the mother has to be close to mom’s genetic match. What do you think?”

“You think my birth mother could be Aunt Tara?”

“Mom and she were twins, and she died around the time you were born. In fact, three days after.”

“Mom said it was suicide.”

“What if it wasn’t?”

Lysandra sent a glare his way. “You are saying mom killed her sister, married the man her sister had a child with, to what? Inherit?”

“Aunt Tara was older.” Lucius stated. “By fourteen minutes.”

“But why?”

“Think about it Sandy. Mom always was a bit cold with you. She glared at you often for any minor thing that didn’t fit her perfect picture of you. I am sure you are only in mom’s will because you bent to her will. You dated fuck-face, did military, was in every sport, a cheerleader, and going to become a lawyer, but you also know how to farm the land. All our crops. You know the paperwork, the business side. You know everything. You did everything to our parents’ wishes. You were going to be the prefect little heiress to take over the land. They conditioned you. If they hadn’t died you would have gone to Yale; only God knows if that would have been for the best. I watched you. You were so bored with Law. You were so bored period. You want politics, yes. But you never wanted to be a lawyer as well. You can run for mayor Sandy, instead of teaching. Instead of more schooling before going to law school. Run for mayor. Mayor Lysandra Tiburtinus sounds like an awfully good title. Then Governor, then House Representative, then Senator, then President Lysandra Tiburtinus!”

Lysandra laughed. “What if I get married?”

Lucius shrugged. “So, what if you do?”

Lysandra laughed. “I have a locksmith coming over tomorrow at four. Blasting it will not get us the answer no matter if you want to blow something up, Lucius. And will you move that new body to the barn? What year is it anyways?”

“Impala 1967.” Lucius stated. “Got it for about four k. Want to help with the stripping tomorrow?”

“I have a meeting with the lawyer, and then the locksmith. How about the day after. And don’t you have school tomorrow?” Lysandra closed the files and stood and stretched. She moved to lead Lucius out as she locked the door.

“School is boring. Do you think I can test out?” Lucius asked.

“Do you really want to? I mean doesn’t that girl of yours still go to school?”

“Yes, Aurelia is only 16 and a junior. And she plans to go to some chef school right after graduating.”

“In America or overseas?” Lysandra hummed as she pulled out ingredients to cook chicken fajitas.

“Paris. She wants to be classically trained as well as street trained.” He rolled his eyes as he hopped up on the counter. “You could have become a chef if you wanted you know? You are good. And you know what those people on television are talking about in those cooking competitions. You even go out and try to find all those ingredients to try your own version. Do you really want politics or is it just so programed into you?”

“I really do want to go into politics. There are a lot of things that need to be changed. Civil Rights have taken a back seat and society screams and cries, but nobody is willing to do anything about it. The only way to change any of it is to do so from the inside. Don’t you think the rights and freedoms I fought for when I was in the military deserve to be fought for in our own government?”

“Sure. It is just you like to cook and bake and stuff too.”

Lysandra chuckled. “I also like musical instruments, languages, art, and writing. But those are hobbies. I have made the choice to dedicate my life to the public. Maybe after I retire from the political scene I will publish all those stories I wrote. Or maybe I will have a mid-life crisis and go and start up a rock band.” She laughed as she tossed a cut up piece of pepper at Lucius.

Lucius laughed. “I would pay to see that. You in a rock band!” He laughed again as he tossed the pepper back at her.

“Hey! It could happen! I mean, I play a mean guitar, and my voice isn’t half bad.” She laughed.

“Uptight, conservative, Captain Lysandra T Tiburtinus gives up her life goal in stunning display of a midlife crisis, details at ten!” He said in an announcer’s voice. “Tiburtinus has punked out her hair, dumped a conservative boyfriend for a female lover, and has started up the next big female rock duo!” Lucius laughed. “I can see the trending hash tags and the news stations going gaga over it now!” He fell back laughing.

Lysandra laughed. “I am not that conservative.” She stopped and thought about things. “Shit, I really did toe the line mom had me walk. I am even registered as a Republican!” She dropped the spatula that she had been using as she made this revelation. “Holy Hell Hounds!” She blinked and looked at her brother. “Do you think I would have been disowned if I hadn’t toed that line?”

Lucius signed. “No, dad loved you. Adored you. You were his princess, so like him. He was the most liberal Republican I knew. Perhaps it is time to revamp the party. Sure you are pro second amendment, but you are for decent gun control. And sure, you are pro-life personally, but you also support people’s right to choose. Choose to educate them and use abortion as a last option for the woman’s mental health. You are very much what the face of the revamping of the Republican Party should be. Away from the bigot, white, rich, racist, hatful men and towards a new definition of conservative values, while being a decent human being.” He smirked then, “after all, you are the furthest from that description. You have been fighting for equal rights since grade school. And right under mom’s nose using the explanation it was good for your future political career.”

Lysandra rolled her eyes, “yes, because it wasn’t the truth.” The sarcasm would hit even the most oblivious person over the head.

Lucius laughed and popped a half-cooked pepper in his mouth. “True, yes, but you always stood up for the little guy. You literally grew up to be Captain America!” He about fell over laughing.

“Lysandra faked disgust, “Blasphemy!” She put a hand on her chest. “IRON MAN FOR LIFE!” She yelled.

Lucius laughed. “Face it! You grew up to be Captain F’ing America! Quite literally, Captain!”

Lysandra thought about it and shook her head as she put the chicken and steaks in their perspective pans. “I don’t know. Cap was way moral. Tony totally is human. He understands masks and the need for them. He understands working the system, and not fighting it. For Cap everything is black and white. Tony saw grey.”

“Okay, so you are a human version of Cap, but you always looked out for the little guys. Always. If you didn’t you wouldn’t have half the medals you do.”

“Those medals were unnecessary. I was doing what anybody would do.”

“That, that right there proves you are more Cap than Stark. You think anybody would do it. But Stark, and most of the population, KNOWS, it is in human nature not to do it. Hell, you got a Psych degree in Behavioral Psych none the less.”

Lysandra rolled her eyes, “whatever. Humans don’t know their true natures until pushed to the extremes. I was. And I know that any decent human where I was, would have done the same. Or I have a hope they would. What are your plans, Luc?”

“Nothing major, Marines for four years. Plan on starting my own tech company with my inheritance soon. I mean I already have a damn good start because of you and the funding you gave me the last couple of years. I already filed patents, and the like, thanks for that help by the way.”

“Do you really want to go to the military or are you just doing it for tradition?”

He sighed, “a bit of both, it is a duty that has been bred into us. Sometimes I wonder if that is literally, but I am too uninterested to study genetics.”

Lysandra nodded, that she understood. She switched off the oven, ‘go get those siblings of ours, it is time for dinner.”