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“Your aunt planned everything, every small detail. It will be a lovely service. If you’d like to call us later today or tomorrow, whenever you are ready, we can discuss the details and choose dates for the wake and service.”
Sophie felt a wave of panic. She couldn’t do this, she wasn’t ready. One of the men smiled kindly. “Why don’t you call us tomorrow? When you’re feeling more settled. This is a difficult time.”
Sophie nodded. “Thank you. I’ll do that.” After they left, she collapsed on the sofa and the tears fell again. She felt a presence behind her and saw that her aunt’s cat, Charlie, had jumped up onto the back of the sofa and was peering down at her. He let out a mournful cry and she realized he was hurting too. She reached over and petted him, and he settled in beside her on the sofa and she was grateful for his warm presence. “We’ll get through this, Charlie.” She took a deep breath as the tears came again. She wiped them away and closed her eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Eight
When Sophie woke the next day, she wondered for a moment if she’d dreamed it all and Aunt Penny would be in the kitchen sipping her rich black coffee and reading the paper. But when she got up and walked to the kitchen, there was nothing but an eerie silence in the apartment. Still half-asleep she peeked into her aunt’s bedroom hoping to see her sleeping peacefully. But of course she wasn’t there. The bed was still unmade and the image of her aunt’s slack face came to her. Sophie pushed it away and went and made the bed quickly. Her aunt always made her bed first thing.
She called the funeral home as soon as they opened a little after nine and spoke to the funeral director. They discussed possible dates and for her to call once she’d talked with her mother and decided what they wanted to do and they’d take care of putting the notices in the papers. Sophie hadn’t even thought of that. She realized they needed to write an obituary too.
Sophie spent the morning wandering her aunt’s apartment in a state of disbelief. She knew on one level that Aunt Penny was gone, but it just didn’t seem real that her bright light had been extinguished. She already missed her terribly. She called her mother, once she gathered the energy to make the call. As expected, her mother was full of questions. Sophie answered them all as best she could.
She spent the rest of the morning working on the obituary and once she was reasonably happy with it, she called her mother and read it to her. Her mother had a few suggestions and Sophie tweaked it and then submitted it to the local papers. They had no idea what to expect for numbers at the wake or service the next day. But Sophie knew that her aunt was well known and had been active in several organizations. She’d been very interested in history and was a member of a historical society and she’d volunteered at an art museum and sat on the board of several other museums. She’d always loved the arts.
“So, you’ll be coming home then?” her mother said. “We’ll get the apartment on the market. It should sell quickly,” her mother said.
Fresh tears fell at the thought of leaving and of her aunt’s beloved apartment being sold to strangers. Sophie knew it was what made the most sense though. Her aunt had no doubt left the apartment to Sophie’s mother as she had no other family. The thought of moving home was utterly depressing. Maybe there was a way she could stay in the city. She’d saved a little money, enough possibly to rent a room with a few other girls. She wasn’t keen on the idea of living with strangers in a tiny apartment. But if it meant staying in the city, it might be worth it.
“I need to stay here for now, at least until after the wake and funeral. I told the funeral people I’d call them as soon as possible to sort out the details.”
Her mother agreed that was a good idea since they’d have to come into the city anyway. And Sophie knew her mother was glad for Sophie to take care of it, so she didn’t have to. They discussed dates for the wake and funeral. And Sophie told her mother that Aunt Penny had already organized most of it and paid for everything.
“That was a wonderful thing to do,” her mother said with appreciation. “It’s so hard to know what people would want, and no one really wants to have that conversation.”
“That’s true. I never wanted to think of Aunt Penny not being here. I miss her so much already,” she said.
“Well, she was ninety-two. She had a good run,” her mother said. She didn’t seem nearly as upset as Sophie was.
“That’s what Aunt Penny said too. She had a good run.” Sophie’s voice broke again as the tears came fast and furious. She’d thought she was all cried out. But evidently not.
Her mother’s tone softened. “She loved you dearly. And she really had a long and very happy life. And I’m sure she loved having you stay with her these past few weeks,” her mother assured her.
“Thanks. I’m glad I was able to spend the time with her.”
They ended the call with her mother saying that she and her father would plan to be in the city by the following Wednesday for a wake that night and funeral service on Thursday.
“We’ll have to meet with her attorney, too. For a reading of her will. I can call and set that up,” her mother said.
“Perfect.” Sophie was happy to have her mother do that. The thought of her aunt’s will was just depressing. It made it all that more official that she was gone.
Sophie ate nothing all day and around five, she decided to wander down to the mailbox and collect her aunt’s mail. Maybe she’d order some Chinese food delivered. Or she could just heat up some soup if there was any in the cupboard. She sighed miserably as she walked down the hall. She checked the mail, collecting a stack of catalogs and a few bills and headed up the stairs to her aunt’s apartment.
She passed Max along the way, and he stopped short when he saw her face.
“What’s wrong?”
Sophie’s eyes welled up again and she looked away. It was hard to talk, to say it again. Max put a hand on her shoulder and spoke gently, “Is it your aunt?”
Sophie nodded, unable to say the words. But Max understood. “Is she gone?”
Sophie nodded again and the tears fell. Max pulled her in for a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Soph. She was a marvelous lady, as you know. I will miss her.”
Sophie hiccupped. “Thank you!”
“Do you have any plans tonight? I could come over and keep you company. We could watch TV and toast your aunt.”
Sophie loved that idea. She wasn’t quite ready to be alone again all night in her aunt’s apartment. She’d been dreading it all day. But she also felt bad. It was a Saturday night after all.
