Following Shannon

When one thinks about what they would do if they came to gain a fortune, it dives deep into the fantasy of untold riches, private islands and jets, and an amount of money so large it felt unlimited. If it wasn’t by the lottery or a sudden new position of power, it was by inheritance or a will.

Cara and Nessa were two of these few who came to a bundle of cash. However, their story didn’t start off very well.

-

Their favorite aunt passed away just two weeks prior, and they took on the responsibility of clearing out all personal belongings from her home. It was a shock when hearing how simple the accident seemed to be compared to how largely she lived; what kind of woman so ahead of her time got taken out by one meal at a nearby restaurant?

Barely a day after the funeral went by before the twins were seen off by their father, bags in the trunk of their car and wheels carrying them towards the other end of the coast. There was no discussion or questioning behind who would be the one to look after the late woman’s small estate. After she spent so much time helping their father raise them the girls felt it was the least they could do under the circumstances.

It had been a week since then when they finally decided to take a break. It was a particularly graying day, with the clouds crowding the area above the sea and the waves crashing against the bottom of the cliff. Usually the seagulls would be gliding over the land, but that day even they seemed to be left to their own devices elsewhere. Nessa wanted nothing more than to already be rid of the lingering sadness she felt with every moment in the house, and so she spent her fraction of time off outside while her sister was spending it indoors doing who knows what. “Hey, have you taken a look through the trunk Aunt Shannon kept in her closet?”

“I thought we were meant to be taking a break from rummaging.” She stated, looking back at her other half with a bothered expression.

“I was,” There was a beat of silence as she took a spot in the grass, only to cross her legs and place something on top of them. It was then that Nessa noticed a small black object within her hands, immediately sending her sister a confused glanced, “but were we ever allowed to see what was in there? No, and it never bothered me until I was watching this film about hidden wills and secrets lives-”

“Cara, I love you, but get to the point. What is that?”

Sighing, the brunette disregarded the impatience for misplaced intrigue and looked down at the worn out, leather booklet. Regardless of the very much used appearance, it caught the young woman’s eye when she came upon it while going through the contents of the trunk. She shrugged, flipping through the pages. “All I really saw flipping through it were numbers, a bit of wording to go along with them. Reckon you can make anything out of it?”

Being the one more in tune with finances and maths as they grew older, Nessa couldn’t help but let curiosity take over as she grabbed the item from her sibling. Cara leaned over to properly follow along with each page turn.

It really was just number after number, each one larger than the last. They were all following dollar signs, various bank accounts and separated by different countries. Not uncommon or weird when taking how cautiously their aunt handled money over the years into consideration. However, towards the back of the notebook were two names scrawled out in handwriting so rushed it was almost illegible.

Cara Eliza Walsh and Nessa Angelica Walsh

Everything was beginning to feel more like one of the movies Cara was watching just an hour ago as her eyes scrolled down to the sum written at the bottom of the lined page.

“20,000 dollars?!” Their eyes widened immensely, sharing a look that would only match that of startled cats in the middle of the night.

“This is confusing.. I know she was careful with banks and such but how did she have so much to transfer to all these places? Why are we in here?”

“I don’t know, Gin.” And who would? Why in the world would a pair of twenty-four year olds be written down in a booklet that only included who and what was being sent thousands of dollars from some woman they may or may not actually know? Shannon Walsh lived a very fruitful and enriching life. Holding such large amounts without ever even saying a word to anyone for insurance reasons was something that didn’t sit right with them.

As Cara flipped through the remainder of the pages to see if anything else was jotted down, a folded piece of paper flew out from the very back of the notebook. Confused at the only piece of loose material, she let her sister take the journal so she could unfold what now seemed to be waiting for something.

My dearest girls,

Stalling was never my strong point, and so it prematurely breaks my heart to be writing that finding this letter means I left you earlier than intended. After a point, my life stopped being as exceptional as I made it out to be on the outside. My part of inheritance from our parents became part of something much bigger, and soon I was thrown into a world of twists and occasionally hiding myself away.

I can’t explain why I’ve sent so much to so many people over the years. What I can say is your names being in this book is no accident or coincidence. I knew what I was getting myself into, and the deeper I dove the more I realized that if anything were to happen you girls would need something to keep you afloat for a bit.

Follow the coordinates on your page, and I promise you will be able to start living the way I know you both want.

Be careful, doves

Aunt Shannon

Silence filled the air as the words Cara read aloud rang through their pierced ears, echoing as if in a cave. “What do you think she meant by hiding herself away?”

Ginny shrugged, shaking her head slowly as it all processing. Having a hidden or double life was only supposed to happen in the movies or on television. Never in either of their wildest dreams did they think the other parental figure in their life would not only leave them so suddenly but be able to have shelved a life worrisome enough to write about. And yet, she continued to make sure that amongst whatever was going on behind those wooden doors, she did her best to make sure her brother’s daughters would be okay in adulthood.

Nothing could really be said after the letter ended, although honoring her had to be done no matter what circumstances it was under. “Do you feel like taking a trip down South? See if we can do what she wanted for us.”

Cara glanced over at her sister, bringing her knees up to rest her head on them as they shared a passing expression of understanding. No matter how outrageous and bizarre the whole situation was, no one had the heart to act like nothing happened.

“Definitely.”