Read Online Maggie's Five ...the first in a LOVE story by Sandra Fitzgerald - Free Book Online Page A

times, then
rests his elbows with clasped hands on his desk and offers me a
closed mouth smile.
    “ Hi
Joe, it’s good to see you,” I say evenly, mirroring his
smile.
    “ Hello Margaret, are you as well as can be
expected?”
    “ I
think so. Sorry it’s taken me so long to come see you.”
    “ Understandable, understandable… understandable” Joe replies
in a nervous tone, rocking back and forth in his chair before
opting to sit back. He’s clearly upset with the direction of our
conversation and it’s exacerbating his quirks. Time to get to the
point.
    “ Thank you for taking the time to see me, Joe,” I offer
calmly.
    “ You’re welcome Margaret. Brendan was a very good man, very,
very good.”
    “ Thank you Joe, I think so too. You had Maryanne call me at
home. May I ask why?”
    “ Yes,
of course Margaret. Brendan asked to sit with me, and together we
discussed and penned a Last Will and Testament. This document was
originally drawn up after you birthed your first child. We then
re-convened and consequently amended the document after the birth
of your second.
    “ Brendan came to me approximately sixteen and a half months
ago. We further discussed you and your children, and as a result of
our exchange, we made further amendments.”
    My stomach sinks
nauseatingly. Brendan’s Will. Of course this is about his
Will.
    The thing is,
though, I didn’t even know he had one. It never occurred to me that
we’d need one, but he did. He thought about death and wanted to
take care of us from beyond the grave. And even after all of my
loss, I still hadn’t, until this very second. What kind of parent
does it make me for not even thinking about taking care of
my family? To be so arrogant to not think that something
could happen to me?
    “ The
amendments,” Joe continues, oblivious to my internal turmoil,
“include the total payment of your current residential dwelling,
which will be implemented by the end of the month. Trust funds are
in place to cover the full costs of all future education for your
offspring and an additional personal cover has been taken out on
your behalf Margaret, so you are now completely covered should
anything untoward impacts your future. However, given the current
circumstances, all trusts will be transferred into your name and
established for your personal benefit. You will be placed on an
extremely generous monthly allowance.
    “ Brendan also discussed and drafted a Last Will and Testament
for yourself and I would be delighted to discuss this with you.
However I can assure you that all details have been taken into
consideration and thus, should you feel uncomfortable at this time
to delve into details you can feel confident to sign this
document,” he says, tapping the index finger of his right hand
three times, indicating where I am to sign, “here.” I robotically
pick up a pen that’s already laid out for me and scratch my name
without question. I trust Brendan and therefore I have faith in
Joe. “Thank you for your confidence Margaret. Here also, please,”
he adds, pointing with his pen and tapping three times. I write
again.
    “ Will
you be keeping your current surname or changing back to your maiden
name?” Joe asks casually, flowing into this new direction without
missing a beat. His enquiry is so blasé I would have almost missed
it if it hadn’t slapped me in the face. “And lastly here,” he taps
three more times. I scribble, digging the ballpoint pen into the
thick parchment with far too much pressure.
    My
name?
    Do I need to
change it? Can I keep it? Am I even allowed to keep it?
    “ No
matter, we can make all necessary adjustments as you see fit.
Simply contact Maryanne for an appointment time.”
    My indecision,
my ignorance beings to irk me. All this being organised behind my
back starts to grind. My lack of organisation, my lack of
forethought, my lack of care for my children straight out pisses me
off.
    I understand
that this is Joe’s way, but Brendan