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“Clarissa.” Greg’s voice sounded strained. “While Rachel eats, do you mind if I speak with you?”

Grudgingly, she followed him to her room. This was going to be unpleasant. All she wanted was to be left alone to fall apart. She hated that Greg had to see Rachel like this. He closed the door behind her.

“Clarissa …” His voice was soft, his face lined with worry. “Oh, Clarissa, this isn’t working. You need help. She needs help.”

She wiped the tears that’d fallen on her face. “I know, I have a number for a home aide company, I was going to call them this week.”

“How many hours are you working?”

She didn’t answer.

“Those aides are expensive. If you need any help, I can—”

“What?” she said. “We can’t take your money, Greg.”

“Of course you can. Rachel and I, well … I know things didn’t work out the way I’d hoped, but I’ve been part of your lives for so long. You’re like my own kid, Claire. And you need the help as much as she does.”

“I’ll think about it,” she whispered.

“Come here, kiddo.” He pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. “You going to be alright?”

“Yeah, I have to be,” she said. “Thanks for coming by, Greg. I appreciate it.”

“Of course, I gotta take care of my girls.”

She laughed and walked him to the door.

“Such a wonderful man,” Rachel gushed from the kitchen table. “Can I tell you a secret? I think he’s going to propose! My friend works at the jeweler in town. They said he was in there shopping for an engagement ring.”

“That’s great, Rachel, I’m happy for you.”

The truth was, Greg had proposed. Rachel had a rule: she wouldn’t marry until after Clarissa made it through high school. Greg had waited, but by the time he’d asked her, the illness had taken over. She wasn’t Rachel anymore, and her aunt and the sheriff never got the happily ever after they deserved.

It was after nine before Clarissa could convince Rachel to go to bed. Only after that was she able to finally take her shower. Letting the steam engulf her, she stood there staring at the drain. She felt numb.

Nine

Clarissa

Covered in flour and eyes drooping, Clarissa put the filling in the last pecan pie. Arranging the nuts on top, then put the cover on. Pulling out the roll of date stickers, she filled them out and stickered each pie.

“All done?” Marissa called from the sink. To save time, she started the cleanup while Clarissa finished the last flavor.

“Yup.” She placed the last sticker.

Marissa came over to inspect. A formality rather than a criticism. “Good job, stick ’em in the freezer. I’ll start cleaning up the last of this.”

In the freezer, she placed them as fast as possible. On any other day, she would linger in the icebox, enjoying a quick break while it momentarily cooled her off. Today she had a chill she couldn’t shake. She had a hunch it had less to do with the weather and more to do with Rachel’s outburst last night.

She was beginning to worry that even if she did hire a home aide, it wouldn’t be enough. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself to take it a day at a time. It was all she had the capacity to do at the moment.

Back in the kitchen, she helped Marissa put away ingredients and sanitize the workstation.

“Alright, I’ll see you Sunday morning!” Marissa waved and ducked into her jacket.

Clarissa clocked out and stood there with her purse and hoodie. If she was being honest, she was afraid to go home. Rachel’s bad days were rarely isolated. She didn’t want to have to call Greg again because she’d been locked out. Where else would she go?

She didn’t get paid until tomorrow so she couldn’t go to Andy’s and pay off her car. She couldn’t go to the grocery store, and she was dangerously low on gas, so going for a drive down the back roads was out of the question. Swallowing her fears, she went to her car.