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Aunt Justine arranged for close friends and family to come back to the house after the service. I’ve kept myself busy serving up cups of coffee and slices of cake. I’ve stared vacantly back at guests and nodded at their kind words without absorbing a single one of them, right up until the last one of them has left.
Even Auntie Justine—who’s been staying with me since the night I came home from the hospital without them—will be leaving soon, and I don’t know if I’m relieved or disappointed that I’m going to be left here alone.
“Are you sure you're gonna be okay here by yourself? You could always come and stay with me.”
“I’m fine. Julian will be back soon,” I assure her.
“Julian should have been here today,” she tells me bluntly, raising her thinly plucked eyebrows.
Aunt Justine may be my mother's sister, but they are nothing alike. She’s sharp tongued and has a no-nonsense approach to just about everything, even death.
“I’m not ready to leave the house yet,” I change the subject before looking around me. I grew up within these walls, each room contains their own happy memories, and right now that’s the only comfort I have left.
“Well, you give me a call when you’ve thought about what you want to do.” She presses a tight-lipped kiss to my cheek, before seeing herself out and leaving me alone in a house that now seems far too big.
I touch my fingers to my graduation photo as I pass it in the hallway. We all look so happy, three sets of smiles, all anticipating a happy future. And my chest feels heavy with sorrow when it sinks in a little deeper that I’ll never see them again. They are actually gone now. Buried deep in the ground with only me left here as proof of their existence.
My life had been shaping up exactly how I dreamed it would. I’d just started working for Dad's real-estate firm, me and my fiancé Julian had been planning to move in together. Mom and Dad had even started to accept the fact that we were together.
Neither of them were happy when I told them I was dating Dad’s business partner’s son. I guess the age gap was their biggest issue. Julian being in his thirties and me only twenty-three. Dad also felt betrayed by the fact we kept our relationship a secret for so long.
But, just like everything else I’ve ever done in my life, eventually they supported me.
Everything was on track. I was happy. That’s when fate decided to take it all away from me.
Me, Mom, and Dad were meeting Julian and his parents for dinner to celebrate our engagement. I should have been with them in the car that night, but I’d been held up at the nail bar so I told them I’d meet them there.
Their accident happened on the way to the restaurant, and my life was spared because of a manicure.
I clear away the paper plates and stack the glasses into the dishwasher. I almost regret telling Aunt Justine that I’d take care of all the mess myself to get rid of her quicker. With the room empty of people, there’s a much bigger mess than I thought. Still, I guess it’ll keep me distracted for a while.
I take out the trash, and when I glance down the street, I see something that makes me stop in my tracks. We don’t have neighbors out here and I don’t recognize the old rustic truck that’s parked a couple hundred yards away from the house. The shadow from the tree above it makes it too dark to get a good look at the driver, but I’m certain whoever it is doesn’t belong around here.
I make sure to lock the front door when I get back inside, and then quickly finish clearing up the kitchen. When I’m done, I head upstairs for a shower.
I’m unzipping the black dress I’ve been wearing all day, and just as I’m about to let it fall to my ankles, I hear a creak come from the landing.
Slowly, creeping toward my bedroom door, I open it just enough to peer through the crack.
There’s nobody there, so I open it a little wider and then jump in shock when I feel a hand snatch my hip and tug my body.
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
I breathe a sigh of relief when I recognize Julian’s voice.
“Where have you been?” I pull back, suddenly remembering how pissed I am at him. I have every right to be mad. I needed him today and he wasn’t there.
“I hopped on the first flight I could after they canceled mine this morning,” he explains, stroking his hand through my hair, and looking disappointed in himself.
“So, not only do you fail to call me and tell me that, but you decide to give me a heart attack too. How’d you even get in here?” I’m certain I locked the front door.
“Back door was open,” he tells me, lifting me onto his body and hooking my legs around his hips.
“Come on, you can’t stay mad at me, not today. I wasn’t there for you and I feel really shit about it, but I’m here now and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you.” With his head buried in my neck and his lips kissing the dip in my shoulder, it’s hard to stay mad at him.
“Anything?” I check.
“Anything,” he assures me.
