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“I know.”
“Try and get some sleep, Abs.” Raine gives me a small wave and disappears into the hall.
“Bye.” Tally follows her.
But Liv lingers. “Abi, I?—”
“I’m fine. I’ve got this, I promise.”
“I can stay with you?—”
“No, absolutely not. It’s ten days. I’ll be fine.”
We both know it’s a lie. But she respects my decision.
“You’re going to get through this, babe. I promise.”
“I know.”
I would get through it.
Eventually.
Somehow.
I just wasn’t sure I’d be the same when I finally crawled out the other side.
* * *
“Abigail, you came.” Maureen sweeps me into her warm embrace, squeezing me tightly before holding me at arm’s length to look at me. “How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d want to do this yet but I didn’t want?—”
“It’s fine.”
It wasn’t.
The last thing I want to do is sift through my father’s things and sort out what is to be donated to charity and what is to be discarded. But Maureen has a life outside of my family’s affairs, and her position with a new family starts after Easter, so she wants to get a head start.
It was nice that she thought to include me but I’m not ready to do this.
I’m not sure I will ever be ready.
Inhaling a shaky breath, I give her the best smile I could muster and say, “Shall we get started?”
For the next two hours, we work side by side to empty his wardrobe and chest of drawers. Maureen is efficient and meticulous, her pile of clothes for donation growing by the second. I, on the other hand, mull over every shirt and every suit jacket, silent tears streaking down my cheeks.
“Maybe I should do this,” she offers, taking a navy-blue jacket from my hands.
“W-what?” I blink up at her.
“It’s too much, too soon,” she says softly.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Abigail, don’t do that. Don’t pretend you’re fine when you’re clearly not.”
