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"So, white cake" The wo to be very small," I said

She nodded "Very sensible" She flipped through a book of iht, just some white-on-white decorative swirls?"

"That’s fine," I said I didn’t really have any opinions about the cake

"No, not fine," Jenny said "We want those fancy flowers on thees, showing ies of flower cakes "Lilies? Roses?"

"Hyacinths," I said before I could even think of why

"That’s a lovely choice Are your wedding colors going to be purple?"

"I guess so" I suddenly second-guessed my choice I had chosen hyacinths for Finn’s funeral because Gavin’s rown the weeds, watering, and staying close so that Gavin’s father would behave as they worked on his old car They were the flowers I knew best It was the right thing It meant Finn would be there with us

"Any other adornn?" the woman asked "Oh, look, he’s made his cookie"

Manuelito stood betweenthe stools

"Whatcha got there, little man?" Jenny asked But when she reached for the cookie, he pulled it back

"Corbell," he said

He’d never actually saidup the cookie, and ht I couldn’t have answered hi, Manuelito had painted an unreen body and little dots of blue on four yelloings

The butterflies thatin the trees outsidenow that I had moved in with Gavin And despite the trauma of that moment when I was loaded into the a the wind to flap against Gavin’s jacket

Finn was here

I reached for the cookie with trerinned at ht For awithon the other side of the fence