The Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey Page B

on. “Blocked it. As if it had never existed. Maybe, she meant to tell you someday, Maman, but that day never came. It happens. Is simple.”
    “ She remembered to pay the electricity bills,” Loic pointed out.
    Josephine shook her head. “No, no, I mean she refused to acknowledge it consciously at the level of her relationships with other people around her. She kept it to herself.”
    “ That doesn’t explain why she cut me out from inheriting the apartment, Josephine.” Sylvie was serious.
    Josephine shot a look at Cat. “There is something very strange going on there,” she said.
    “ But that doesn’t explain why Cat’s offered to give the entire estate back to Maman, Josephine,” Loic said. “She didn’t know anything about the inheritance until last week. How could that be strange?”
    “ Hmm.” Josephine said. “I still say deep posttraumatic stress.”
    “ Or, maybe there was something she didn’t want you to know about,” Cat spoke softly. “Something else. Another, more … external reason.”
    They all turned to her.
    “But it will be impossible to find out!” Josephine shook her head.
    Sylvie turned to her daughter, and reached out a hand. “Ma petite. If there is a chance of me learning why my mother did this, I can rest, don’t you see? Her not telling me amounts to … a lack of trust? I think? Oui … if I don’t try to find out why she kept this secret, then, I will never know, whether … it was me, or… something else.”
    “ Maman!” Josephine threw her hands in the air. “You are catastrophising and internalizing! You must change your thinking! How could it be you who is the problem here? It would be nice if she had told you, but this is not the end of the world! Non! You had a good relationship with Grand-mere. You must focus on this. She is gone, Maman, you need closure, not this stranger searching through all Grand-mere’s things! It will end in disaster and upset for all concerned! If Grand-mere had an apartment in Paris, then, that is her private affair. Is not a problem, if you look at it the right way.”
    “ Ma petite, I am not mad. But if I never know why she kept this secret … well. It will haunt me. And it could affect all our futures.”
    “ What if you find something that hurts you?” Loic spoke, his voice soft.
    Sylvie shook her head. “You see?” she said to Cat. “You are only one who understands. Thank goodness, I have you to help me.”
    Cat didn’t have to see the dagger looks that emanated towards her from Josephine’s direction. She could feel them. Loic stood up, went over to the kitchen.
    “ Loic, Maman is not in a state to discuss this now,” Josephine announced. She stood up. “I only hope Maman, that you see sense, but I will not sit here and listen to any more. I cannot rely on you, Catherine, to protect my mother from pain and she will not listen to me, so I am going back to Paris.”
    “ It will cause me more pain not knowing,” Sylvie said.
    Loic folded his arms, leaned against the kitchen bench. “I don’t want you to suffer either way, Maman.”
    “ Oh, this is not a problem, she has Catherine to scrounge around for her!” Josephine said. “As a team, they are going to unravel my grand-mere’s past! I don’t care about the money, Loic, but I at least care about Maman’s health!”
    “ I don’t care about the money either,” Loic said, his voice soft.
    “ But what if its millions? That painting could be worth a fortune!” Cat said. She reached out a hand towards Sylvie, and then drew it back. It had been her idea to find out what happened. If it was going to cause a real family crisis, then she would stop, but it seemed Josephine was being a little too controlling. “Don’t you think your mother has the right to make her own decisions?”
    “ But whose idea was this, Catherine? Who is making this decision?” Josephine asked.
    The girl was being irrational. Cat closed her eyes and shook her head. Josephine clearly