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He tensed and she added, “Kaamal’s…” Carter glared, and she turned, knowing he was delivering a warning to her about speaking another man’s name. McKenna rolled her eyes. “Kaamal’s father was in charge when your parents died but he handles everything now.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“You haven’t said anything about them. It’s been months since the thing in Texas.”
“Thing…” He smirked and she nodded, knowing he was teasing her because she wouldn’t reference him killing his grandfather.
“You can’t change the past but you can change their existence in your life. In our lives. Because if I am pregnant, I want our child to know about their grandparents. I want them to know who they truly were, so that’s why we’re here.”
“I still don’t know what the fuck that means, Kenni.”
After some digging, Carter had admitted he didn’t have much say in what happened after his parents were killed. He was eighteen and Jessup promised to take care of everything. He had but Carter had been detached from the entire process.
“You didn’t get to properly say goodbye. Your parents were so important to you and you weren’t allowed to be a part of the process. I think you should be.”
“It’s too late for that, Kenni.”
“Can we go inside and I’ll show you that it’s not?”
He was torn. McKenna could sense his reluctance but she also knew Carter would give her anything she wanted. He got out of the car hesitantly and escorted her inside. After they were seated with Kaamal and introductions were made, she placed her hand on Carter’s thigh while she asked the questions she needed to.
“Is that it?” McKenna motioned to the folders and Kaamal nodded, sliding them across the table. She handed them off to Carter who frowned but she motioned to the table. “Just look.”
He opened the first one and realized the documents were instructions and payments for their burial from fifteen years prior, two weeks after his parents were murdered. He got pissed, flipping through the pages, but found that there were two sets. The original ones and a revised copy. The amounts were the same, but the names were different. The new set listed Carter as the payee. The original ones listed Carlton Jessup.
“What is this?”
“That man doesn’t deserve to be attached to your parents, so I asked Kaamal to change it.”
“My father kept immaculate records, everything was paid in cash. The old receipts are in there and so are the new ones.”
“New ones?”
“Your fiancée requested that Jessup’s name be removed and yours be added. She paid…”
“He paid,” McKenna corrected. Carter frowned briefly then realized where the money came from.
The money he left her with before he walked away.
“That’s your money, Kenni.”
“Let’s agree to disagree but regardless, I’m sure you’d rather it come from me than him.”
“He already paid. That’s not how this shit works. You can’t change the reality of how this played out.”
“I can,” Kaamal offered. “I accepted the money she gave, applied it to the record. Refunded the money he paid and put it into a fund we use for less fortunate families. People can’t always afford to bury their loved ones the way they would like so we help out when we can. Either way, your name is the only one attached to your parents now.”
The muscles in Carter’s chest clenched tightly.
“I have to meet my wife but everything else is in there. If you have any questions or need to change anything, just give me a call.”
Kaamal stood and Carter followed suit, offering his hand. “Thank you.”
After he was gone, Carter returned to the space next to McKenna, gripped the back of her neck, and pressed his forehead to hers. “I fucking love you, Kenni.”
“I know,” she stated softly and gently pulled away. “There’s one more thing and I completely understand if you don’t want to do it but I think it might be nice.”
“What?” He narrowed his eyes and she slid the second folder from under the first, assuming the mockups were in there. She flipped it open and pointed to the black granite headstones. They were beautifully constructed and more elaborate, with all the same information except one change, under each of his parents’ names were their given names, Keza Uwera and Kivuli Nkusi.
