Page 46 (1/2)

She’d always loved pink

For Beatrice, I picked white

She wouldn’t give a damn what she was buried in

Honestly, neither did I

I was furious that she’d suffered like that, that she was taken frorocery store But hter, the only person I really loved in this world

When we’d had her, it was all diapers and vomit and chaos

But that quickly changed, and she beca to me

I sat alone in the parlor in lass of scotch always soether Tihts were days and hts?

This was a kind of grief that would never get easier

If I’d just gone to Bartholoht still be alive

But I cared more about my pride

I was a piece-of-shit father

My phone rang beside nized it because I’d stared at it for so long before I’d made that first call It was an out-of-body experience, to call a funeral hohter

I took the call but didn’t say a word

“Mr Marseille?”

I inhaled a deep breath—then let it out slowly “Yeah?”

“After exa the remains, we’ve discovered that there are bones for an adult…not a child”

My eyes focused on the amber liquid besideto look inside I would never do that—look at her little bones “I don’t understand…”

“We’ve confirmed the remains of two adults But none from a child”

I was onto the , er than ever

“Since there are two sets of bones, we’ll need to go through all the steps to verify the identity—”

“Do what you have to do”

“Can we pull Beatrice’s medical records?”

“Yes” I hung up and left the house

I ventured to the Catacorand chamber with the ancient city in the rear The two thrones were there—one vacant and another filled

Bartholoainst his jaw, and his ankle was crossed over the opposite knee The table beside hilass of wine With vacant eyes, he stared, as if he’d been expecting me

I walked straight up to hi on around me “She’s alive”

He dropped his hand from his jaw as his eyes narrowed on my face