Holiday Lanes

Twenty-Six

I opened the envelope and pulled out a giant stack of papers that were inside of it. I started to look through them, not understanding what it was at first, until I saw my name, my brother's name, and my parent's names on the cover page of a formal document.

"Is this what I think it is?" I asked barely loud enough for them to hear me.

"Vee, we found a will," Corey said as they both sat down in front of me.

I looked down at the formal document that sat in my fingers. A will, my parents left a will. I placed the will down on my bed and looked through the other things in the envelope. There were a few pictures. One of my parents on their wedding day, one of our family home, one of my brother and I, and a few of the four of us. I felt tears fall down my face as I looked at the photographs. I put down the photos and looked through everything else. The deed for the house was in here, meaning no one lives in my old home, all this time I have been stuck in hell when I could've been at home.

"I don't understand, how did you find all of this?" I asked, still crying.

"Remember how I wanted to go to Vegas for your birthday, this was why," Elton explained, "Corey and I talked to a private investigator and told him all about you and what we wanted to do, he found out that no one lived in your old house. Corey and I went to your old house last weekend, the private investigator let us in, and all of this was in your house. Whoever the lawyer was that was in charge of your case after you lost your family, didn't look around much because your aunt was hiding all of that in a safe lockbox at the bank."

I still didn't understand. I didn't know what to think or what to say. I just cried and looked down at everything in my hands.

"Vee, look at the will, there was a lot left for you and it's all in there," Corey said as he placed his hand on my knee.

I started looking through the will, as I read it, I saw how much was actually left in my name.

"Is this right?" I asked, "the house, all of the money my parents had saved, the piano, all of it is mine."

"It's all yours Vee, you can do what you want with it, it all belongs to you."

I pulled both of them into a hug and I couldn't believe it all.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," they both said to me

I pulled away and looked at everything in front of me.

"I can finally live my life in the present without questions about my past. This is something I never expected to happen."

"Are you okay? Are you feeling up to some Christmas celebrating?" Elton asked.

"I'm better than okay. What kind of Christmas events?"

"You'll see," Corey laughed.

I changed my shirt, I really didn't want to go out in public in a Christmas sweater, and put on a red long sleeve cop top. I brushed my teeth and cleaned up my face a little. I had some mascara running down my face thanks to the emotional rollercoaster I just went on.

We went downstairs where everyone in the house was waiting for us. We all went outside and got into two cars. We drove to somewhere I had never been to.

"We're going on a small walk, don't worry it'll be worth it," Sam said as we got out of the car.

We all started walking up the dirt path and not long later, I couldn't believe where I was standing. We had gone to see the Hollywood Sign. I am standing in front of the Hollywood Sign on Christmas. This is unreal.