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His reaction, though perhaps a little overdramatic, comforted Sage. It made her feel as though the hate she held toward Mark was rational and justified. Mark had known the funds didn’t exist to cover such lavish funeral selections. The only reason he’d made the arrangements, apart from his high opinion of himself, was because he’d presumed he’d somehow magically accrue the sort of wealth he’d once had. Little did he know he’d die prematurely. Despite her rage, Sage wasn’t at all happy Mark was gone. True, their marriage had been a cold, lifeless one. During their time together, Sage had only found refuge in her work. She’d been glad when her daughter, Harper, moved out to go to college. Mark’s criticism hadn’t just affected Sage, it had also hurt Harper as well.
He infected her with self-doubt,Sage thought, bitterly.No child needs the sort of pressure he placed on her. I was barely even there for her. I was too busy studying patterns in diseased trees to notice just how much she needed a mother figure.
Sage found herself inexplicably sharing her thoughts and feelings with Irving. After his reaction to her statement about Mark going behind her back, she felt she could open up to him without experiencing any judgment. Besides that, she figured he’d agree to cancel the contract if he knew the truth.
“It’s not too late, you know,” Irving remarked. “You can still be there for your daughter. If there’s one thing I know, it’s the importance of staying connected to your family, despite your differences and struggles.”
Sage nodded. He was right. Harper had already been under enough stress with all the studying she’d been required to do; add the death of her father to the mix and it was a wonder she hadn’t fallen apart.
“I’ll call her the minute I get home,” Sage promised.
A bell chimed, signaling the end of whatever meeting had been going on in the chapel. Sage glanced around her to find the group of perfect patricians parting ways with one another. A quick look at her watch told her it was much later in the evening than she’d thought. When she returned her gaze to Irving she was astounded by the look of turmoil on his face. The man had been a remarkable listener. Not once had he interrupted her or gotten distracted by a blip on his phone. He’d wholeheartedly lent his ear to her, and he barely knew her.
“Are you certain you want out of the agreement?” he said, as he stood. At his full height, he was at least six feet tall. His frame held the elegance of a classically trained dancer. Sage found herself blushing intensely as he helped her into her coat, which she’d forgotten she’d shed.
“I’m sure,” she affirmed. She felt a ball form in the back of her throat. After sitting with the kind handsome man for the time that she had, a part of her wanted an excuse to see him again. There was also a look in his eye that made her feel the need to be with him. The way he’d watched her as she’d spoken had made her feel seen, admired even. Now, his gray-blue eyes held longing and loneliness as he escorted her out the chapel doors to the front.
Sighing wistfully, he opened a drawer of the receptionist's desk and withdrew a form. “All you have to do is fill this out,” he explained. “Then, the agreement will be nullified.” He hesitated before handing her the paper. “Uh… wait just one moment,” he said, with a nervous gulp, “I need to, erm, see how many forms will be left.” He counted under his breath for a moment before suddenly cursing.
“Is something wrong?” Sage inquired. She noted the way Irving’s fingers trembled as he held the paper in his hand. An inexplicable wave of panic seemed to have struck him.
“Please excuse me while I photocopy this,” he blurted. He then bounded up the stairs faster than Sage had ever seen a person move. He returned moments later, looking flustered and somewhat disheveled. There was something Sage found enthralling about his perfectly groomed hair now being out of place.
Noticing her glance, Irving frantically swept his hand through his hair. He groaned in frustration when the strands of hair refused to stay back. Eventually giving up, Irving handed her the form, along with a pen. She couldn’t help but feel endeared by the man’s nervous display.
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “As I said, fill that out and you’ll be free. You can leave it on the receptionist’s desk when you’re finished.”
“Thanks,” Sage said. “This means a lot. Thank you for listening too. I feel better now that I’ve been able to get my feelings off of my chest.”
Irving chuckled lightly, refusing to make eye contact. “Feelings are like that, aren’t they? They’re like wooden stakes sharpened to a fine point, threatening to pierce your heart and end your existence.”
“Uh… I suppose so,” Sage responded. She watched as Irving stared glass-eyed at the grandfather clock behind her.
“Goddamned that accursed timepiece!” he exclaimed. “It’s off by eight minutes,” he explained, after seeing the confusion on her face. “Anyway,” he said, “have a good day… I mean night.”
Sage watched as he left, mumbling incoherently to himself.What an odd person he turned out to be,she thought. She wasn’t sure why, but she found herself feeling saddened by his departure.Snap out of it,she told herself,you’re not some high school girl with a crush. You’re too old to be smitten by someone like him.
Focusing her attention on the form, Sage was met with a series of questions such as ‘what was your first impression of the participant?’ and ‘Please rate the participant’s humanity on a scale of one to five, five being the most humane, and one being the least humane.’
Initially, Sage found these questions odd, but upon second thought, realized that a client’s experience with a funeral home likely depended on the quality of the funeral director. Had the funeral options not been so unaffordable for her, Sage would have been more than accepting of Irving’s help.
Upon answering the questions to the best of her ability, Sage left the Church and Chapel funeral home. She shivered as she made her way down the narrow concrete steps leading out of the building. Pulling the collar of her coat closer to her neck, she continued through the parking lot to her car. For a moment she thought she heard footsteps close by. Across the parking lot, she could just barely make out the silhouettes of two men. She blinked and suddenly the figures were gone.
I’m losing my mind,Sage thought, entering her vehicle.First I find myself spewing my guts to some random man, and now I’m seeing things.
As promised, Sage called Harper as soon as she was home. “C’mon, Harper, please pick up,” Sage muttered to herself.
Sage didn’t exactly blame Harper for siding with Mark. After all, he’d been her biological father. No kid ever had an easy time accepting a new parent into their life. Still, Sage refused to give up on her. Now that Mark was dead, she was all the girl had.
“Hello?”
Sage felt her heart skip when she heard Harper’s voice. “Hi hun, how are you doing?” she asked.
Harper huffed. “How do you think I’m doing? I feel like shit. Dad’s dead and I’ve got finals coming up.”
“I know,” Sage replied quietly. “I just called to check up on you. Have you told your teachers about Mark’s passing? You shouldn’t be pushing yourself so hard right now.”
“I’m not a child, Sage,” Harper snapped. She’d never called Sage ‘mom’, which was understandable, but it also hurt in a way.
