Page 79 of See You at the Sunset

Jia stood up from the couch and made for the door to leave. She couldn’t be here even one minute longer.

“Jia, where are you going?” her mom called out.

“Let her be,” Mimi said. “Let her be.”

Jia rushed out the door into the pink-filled light.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

Jia sat at her favorite corner where she’d watched the sunset almost every night here in Palm Springs, her safe place. After leaving Mimi’s, she’d gone straight to Dennis’s house to make sure he was okay. She hoped that she’d see Henry there. But he’d gone to the hospital to speak to the doctor and to the pharmacy to pick up more pain medication for his grandfather. He hadn’t come back by the time she left.

The sky was showing signs of changing from day to night. She headed to her spot at her favorite time of day. It was when the pressures of everything around her went to sleep like the sun. It was when she could still her mind and trust that tomorrow would be a new day, another chance for everything to be okay. Sunset had always offered her perspective and peace. She needed both today.

And her grandmother, Mimi, was the one to give this to her.

Jia patted the seat next to her on the curb. Mimi came and slowly let herself down. Jia watched and suddenly realized how getting up and down from the ground might be difficult for Mimi. She reached over to help her, but Mimi shooed her away.

Jia felt ashamed that there were so many things she just hadn’t considered about the older residents here. Hadn’t she yelled at Henry for this exact thing? And here she was wondering if she’d been blind to it all. There had to be a middle ground, where people were allowed to live as they wanted, to their fullest potential, as they aged. And yet the world would consider, respect, and offer help as it was needed.

“I have creaky knees and my balance is off, Jia. But I’m neither dead nor dying. So get out of your head.”

Jia smiled at her saucy grandmother.

“Are they gone?” she asked.

“Yup, left shortly after you did.”

“How long had they been there?”

“A few hours. Mercilessly trying to get me to agree to sell the place. But you know me, my love. I’m made of tougher stuff than they give me credit for. I make my own decisions about my life. And, if you’re willing, I’d like to sign over the power of attorney for my finances and my health to you, when the time comes,” Mimi said.

“What? I’m not responsible enough. I make mistakes with the important stuff. I’m not reliable for all of that,” Jia said.

“Get your mom’s and dad’s lies out of your head. That’s not at all who you are. You are responsible. You are reliable. But most importantly, you lead with love. I trust you more than anyone in the world.”

Jia couldn’t stop the tears if she tried. So she let them flow down her cheeks as she leaned against her grandmother, placing her head on her shoulder like she had since she was a little girl.

“I don’t know, Mimi. I feel like I’ve messed some shit up. I came running here to escape from my problems. I tried to hide from my life here at The Sunset, and I ended up ruining everyone else’s in my wake.”

“No, honey. Seems to me you came here and found yourself. And in doing so, you saved us all.”

Jia let out a sob, and Mimi wrapped her arm around her, patting her shoulder. “You’re doing great, Jia girl. You’ll figure it out for yourself. I know you will. But you can’t do it by running away from your problems. Plus, where you gonna go? Seemslike you found your destination right here. So plant those feet and face life head-on.”

Her words rung in Jia’s ears. She knew Mimi was right. She just wasn’t sure how.

The sun continued its journey down to the horizon, the sky having almost completed the cycle of the colors it rotated through every night. The process was beautiful, no doubt. But Jia came out here for more. She came out here for the promise that there would always be another day.

What would Jia do with her next day?

And as the day turned into night, tomorrow’s plan began to take shape.

32

Jia had walked past the unassuming office space multiple times as it sat next to the gelato place she and Mimi often went to downtown. There wasn’t any signage. Just a frosted-glass door. She had no idea that this was where Matthew Singleton had been conducting business for months now.

She looked twice at the address before opening the door and entering.

“Hello. Can I help you?” said a younger woman sitting at the reception desk. The space was small with just the lobby and three other doors. One led to a larger conference room, the others to individual offices. It was furnished in more modern office pieces, unlike the wood and muted tones of the Bakerson’s Group offices Jia had experienced in the past.