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But I wasn’t. This bullshit with Lenny could have waited. They weren’t going anywhere. Why was I acting like we had all the time in the world when I could see him withering away?
“What is wrong with me?” I screamed, tears gushing down my cheeks. “I should have been there!”
Eli held me tighter. “Nothing. Your father knew you loved him. You not being there changes nothing.”
I sobbed so hard, so loud, I stopped breathing, stopped thinking, if only for a few moments. But Eli never let go. He never stopped rocking me, softly whispering words of love.
Chapter 13
Addie
The funeral came and went, and I didn’t really remember it. I was told by several family members that it was nice and that my father would have loved it, but I couldn’t remember enough of it to tell.
Maybe they were right. Or maybePadrewould have hated it and wanted something completely different. Who was to say?Padreand I never talked about his funeral or his death. We should have, but neither of us wanted to face it.
At the funeral, I saw family members that I hadn’t seen since I was little, and some I didn’t even know existed. There were quite a few of the latter. My father had a sister that I never knew about. But the second I saw her, I knew who she was.
She stood at his coffin for a long time during the viewing, like they were having a long conversation, catching up after so many years. There were even times as she stood there that she laughed like he had told a joke.
She ran a hand over his head and then kissed him gingerly on the forehead. When she finally walked away, her face was damp. I glanced at Eli, his eyes darting from her to me and back again. We both shrugged, wondering why we had never seen her before.
She looked just like him. I saw it more and more the longer I looked at her. Her face a shadow of my father’s. She had his nose and lips and eyes. She was almost as tall as he was, and her body frame reminded me of his before he became riddled with cancer.
I didn’t speak to her until after the service, when everyone returned the house to eat. The other families had sent food… lots and lots of food… as a show of respect. She stood in the living room, eying the family photos.
“Why don’t I know you?”
It was small but I could tell I startled her. She slowly turned around and stared at me.
“Little Addie.”
“I’m not really little anymore.” I tilted my head to the side, wondering.
She smiledPadre’ssmile. “I know. I’ve heard. Harry called me and told me all about your… recent exploits.”
“You guys still talked?”
“He was my brother.” She shrugged. “Of course, we talked. It was usually about you.”
“When was the last time you talked to him?”
Her eyes glazed over, sorrow moving through them, trapped. “A few days ago. He asked me to come see you… to help you.”
“He didn’t say anything to me. What did he want you to help me do?” I scoffed, shaking my head. “What’s your name, and why have we never met?”
My father’s sister’s eyes darted toward the door. “Hera. My name is Hera. I promised some people I would stay away.”
“Yet, here you are.”
She smirked. “Well, it’s not my fault he died. And who keeps promises to dead people?” She ran a finger through my hair. “You still look like your mother.”
“Were you around then?”
She nodded. “I was. I loved Ava. She was beautiful and smart and then… well… I would say she was the deadliest bitch in town but from what I hear, you seem to be taking her crown.”
I smiled. “How long are you staying?”
“As long as you need me too, Little Addie. Your father thought you might need someone to help you navigate this world and figure out who to trust.” Her eyes moved around the room. “Who is that man watching you?”
