With this segment of Chapter Thirteen of Repairing the Legacy, we continue the serialization of Repairing the Legacy. This is a rough draft work in progress and may not reflect the final form. Time period: set after the ending of The Martiniere Legacy main trilogy. I’m breaking longer chapters into sections for readability. This is the first part of Chapter Thirteen. There will be four parts to this chapter.

New to the series? Chapter order:

Chapter One, Section One

Return of the Prodigal Son (2 parts)

Conversations and a Dinner (2 parts)

Dancing into Change (2 parts)

Sisterly Compromises (3 parts)

Conspiracies at the Rodeo (3 parts)

Passing the Baton (4 parts)

Research Complications (3 parts)

Chasing After Shadows (3 parts)

Fifth Anniversary Present (3 parts)

Mariah (5 parts)

Shadows, Redux (3 parts)

Accidents Happen (4 parts)

MATERNAL MEMORIES

June, 2068

RUBY

“I’m not sure what Gabie’s going to think about this. Just a little bit nervous.” Justine carefully set a discolored brownish-white banker’s box on the Formica and chrome table in the Double R’s kitchen.

“Why?” Ruby eyed the unmarked box. Part of her wanted to pop the lid off and poke around in it, intrigued by what might be inside. The other part wanted to yield to sloth after this morning’s intensive physical therapy. She would have to take her leg off the chair in order to reach the box, probably even stand up. That would hurt and be a lot of work—the kind of effort that seemed to get more difficult the older she became. Right now, she felt every one of her almost-sixty years.

“The archivists are still turning up surprises from Daddy-damned-dearest’s hidden records stashes at the Group headquarters. Most of them are electronic, but then they run across something like—this.”

“What is it, Tine?” Gabe glided into the kitchen. “Why are you concerned about what I think?”

Justine frowned at her brother. “Snooping again, Gabie?”

Ruby hid a grin. She was used to Gabe’s light step. But it was an occasional point of contention between him and Justine—which came and went, depending on her mood.

“No, was just coming to get more coffee and heard you talking.” Gabe waved his cup. “I have a couple of moments. So what’s in the box that you think will bother me?”

“It’s—some of your mother’s things. Clearly personal.” Justine took a deep breath. “Mostly memories about you.”

No wonder Justine’s concerned.

Gabe’s expression went blank. He reached for the lid. Hesitated, hands trembling slightly. Then he lifted it in a smooth swift motion, resting the lid upside down next to the box. He squinted inside the box, blinking, lips tight.

Then he extracted a ballet shoe with ribbons wrapped around it. “One of Mama’s pointe shoes,” Gabe murmured, turning it over. “Ah. She wrote on it. Last shoe from my final Swan Lake. The one I hoped it was. Mama had sold all her shoes to collectors except this one, which was displayed on a shelf at home—and they can’t be found. At least that was what I had been told. I had hoped to someday come across this one, to give to Lily.” He set it down and picked up an album. “My baby book.” He picked up the pointe shoe, put the book in the lid, then placed the shoe on top of the book. “Family pictures.”

Gabe didn’t pull the pictures out, but continued to thumb through the contents until he retrieved a notebook.

“A diary,” he said. A quizzical expression tightened his face as he studied the plain black notebook held closed by a faded elastic band. The band snapped as he slid it off and opened the notebook. “Dated from June 2001 to March 2002, and it’s been read and reread. Someone made notes in a different handwriting—” his voice faltered. Gabe dropped the book into the box. “Where was this located, Justine?” His voice was tight and hard.

“A triple-locked closet in Philip’s office archives at the LA Group headquarters, Gabriel.” Justine’s tone was flat. “The archivists had to bring security in when they finally got it open, because there was a lot of sensitive material. Not Group files and records. Personal.”

“His blackmail files?” Gabe’s nostrils flared and his brows furrowed.

“Quite likely. This is the only Family-related item.”

“Figures. So why was it found only now?”

“Hidden door, Gabriel, one of several that were only locatable after checking blueprints—not anything official. I supervised the opening, then checked each box myself. No one else has seen the contents.”

“Thank you, Justine.” Gabe delicately set first the baby book, then the pointe shoe back in the box. “I’ll take this to my office.” He scooped up the box and left the kitchen, leaving his coffee cup behind.

Justine raised her brows. “Well. Both better and worse than I expected.”

“Yeah,” Ruby sighed. She eased her leg off the chair, then pushed herself up. “I’ll take Gabe’s coffee to him.”

And check on his state of mind, she thought but didn’t say out loud.

At least she had graduated to a full-leg boot that didn’t require crutches to get around, so that she could carry his cup. Whatever Gabe had seen in that diary had definitely bothered him.

Part of THE GREAT SUBSTACK STORY CHALLENGE! TWO MORE WEEKS BEFORE MY INSTALLMENT.

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