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"It calh with the storet a handle on et to the funeral houe with that? Apparently not even ain His hand just kept inching higher Noas atit deliberately

"Knock it off," I told hie

With a smile, he took his hand away Apparently it’d worked He was in a markedly better mood

"Did you want to speak at the service?" he askedup to say a feords"

"No, thank you," I replied I didn’t even have to think about it I couldn’t do it, couldn’t speak about Gram to a roomful of hostile faces Oftentiht of that contempt, but this was so personal I couldn’t speak about her and not share too , expose my too raw e that brought my stutter back I couldn’t bear the humiliation if that happened

Gram wouldn’t have asked that of h for her that I was there, that I’d come home for her

Dante didn’t pursue it any further

"Who else is speaking?" I asked hi it brief You kno she hated funerals"

I was relieved to hear his She’d hated Gram, her mother-in-law, but she rarely turned down an opportunity to be the center of attention

"There’ll be a short viewing," he continued, "then the service, followed by a reception at her house"

I’d figured ason at the estate

A short, tense length of tiinside, passing by countless, faceless black clad people

I didn’t look at any of theet through this without breaking down

She lived a good life, I toldlife, full of joy and surrounded by people who loved her