his stride to keep up with her.
PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. NO matter which direction Kelly faced at the funeral home visitation the following evening, there were more people. Long-time customers. Friends. Grammy’s fellow business owners. Kelly’s cheeks felt as if they were going to crack if she had to keep the smile pasted on one more minute and thank another person for coming.
What she wanted was to be alone. To close all the doors and just sit in her own grief, not deal with everyone else’s. She glanced over at Megs who stood next to her in a white silk blouse and black woolen skirt. She seemed so composed. Looked so serene. How did she do it? She glanced at Megs’s black ballerina flats. Must be the shoes.
She wiggled her toes in the heels she was wearing and turned to the next woman in the receiving line, Aunt Lillian’s daughter Beth. Short like all of the women in Grammy’s family had been, a black wool dress swallowed her, and the matching black hat obscured her face. “You girls sure have grown up.”
Kelly wasn’t sure how to answer that. Thanks? Yes, it’s called time passing? Instead, she gave the woman a dry kiss on her papery thin cheek. “Good to see you, Beth. It’s been a long time.”
She sniffed and looked her over from head to toe then eyed Megs. “You’re all that’s left of my aunt. I expect you to stay in touch.”
Megs leaned down and gave the woman a quick hug and pat on the shoulder. “Yes, ma’am. Is your sister Amy here?”
“She’ll arrive in time for the funeral tomorrow.” Beth glanced around the funeral home. “I’m glad to see everyone paying tribute to Aunt Addy. You both did a fine job planning this.”
And with that she moved on with a regal air of dismissal. Kelly whispered in Megs’s ear, “I feel like curtsying and kissing her hand when we’re around her.”
Megs squelched a smile by coughing into her fist. “Be nice. She’s the only family we have left now.”
“You’re all the family I need.” Kelly reached over and squeezed her hand. “No matter what, I’m going to be here for you.”
“Even if you’re in Nashville?”
Kelly didn’t want to think about that just yet. It was nice being home for now. To get to know her sister better and make some decisions about her future.
But she didn’t say any of that.
Instead, she tried a smile yet found it difficult to keep it in place. “Especially then.”
Folks continued to join the receiving line, so Kelly shook hands with the next person who stepped forward. The young woman looked as if life had chewed her up a bit, but she was still standing. “Your grandmother was an amazing woman. She always made sure to drop off extra bread to my house. There were nights when that’s all we had to eat. God bless her.”
The woman moved toward Megs, and they embraced. Her sister gave the woman a smile. “It will be all right, Shelley. You know I can’t stop baking at one or two loaves.”
Kelly turned to the next person, a man who held a fedora in his hands. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Shame about Addy. She was one fine woman.”
“Thank you.”
Megs took one of the man’s hands in her own. “She thought the world of you, too, Walt.”
“The bakery is business as usual?” he asked.
Megs nodded. “I’ll make sure to deliver your order myself. You don’t need to worry.”
When Walt left, Kelly leaned closer to Megs. “These people are worried they won’t get their bread and cookies?”
“It’s more than that. You wouldn’t understand. They’re checking to make sure I’m going to honor Grammy’s promises.” Megs greeted the next visitor and hugged the tiny woman. “Eva, you’re looking splendid.”
“Cancer can’t beat me. And I’m gonna be a grandma again. Can you believe it’s almost time for Suzy to have that baby?” The woman wore a huge grin that even death couldn’t dim. She turned to Kelly and said, “Addy always swore the best thing she ever did was raise you two girls.”
Kelly nodded and bit her lip to keep from crying again. The fact that Grammy had taken in two teenagers after their father died and their mother ran off had changed her life forever. Again, the loss of her grandmother shook the foundation of Kelly’s world. She’d told her reflection over and over that morning that she could get through the visitation without crying, but it seemed as if she was growing closer to breaking that promise. “We couldn’t have asked for a better parent.”
“They don’t make them better than Adelaide Sweet.” The woman reached up and kissed Kelly on both cheeks then did the same to Megs before moving across the room toward the casket.
Kelly addressed her sister. “And that was?”
“Eva Stone. If you’re in town for much longer, you’ll get to know her. She works with as many charities as Grammy used to. And we’re making the cake for her daughter-in-law’s baby shower this Sunday.” Megs groaned softly and massaged the back of her neck. “How many more people do you think are coming today?”
Kelly scanned the room and guessed that almost the entire town must be there. After paying their respects to Addy, people moved in small groups to the table in the back where Megs had placed all the baked goods she’d made. But every time Kelly thought they had seen the last visitor, two more would walk in. She looked up at the door as Sam entered the room. His presence suddenly made her feel lighter inside.
He made a beeline to the sisters and gave a hug to Megs then nodded at Kelly. “Quite a turn out. Addy must be mad as all get-out to be missing it.”
“Something tells me she isn’t.” Megs wrapped her arms around her waist and took a deep breath. “And this is the easy part. I can’t even imagine the funeral.” Her sister glanced around the room, then at the two of them. “I need some air.”
Kelly nodded. “I’ll go with you.”
“No.”
Kelly took a step back at the vehemence in her sister’s voice. She shrugged. “Fine. I’ll stay and greet anyone that comes in.”
She watched as Megs nodded but ran out of the room. Frowning, she spoke to Sam. “Every time I think we’re making headway, she runs. I can’t seem to get her to open up to me.”
“Do you blame her?” Sam kept his gaze on the door Megs had disappeared through. “You’ve been gone so much that you’re practically a stranger to her. She doesn’t know you. Not anymore.”
Kelly’s frown deepened. “You think you know so much about me, but you have no idea.”
“You’re right. I’m sure I don’t.” He peered at her closely, then shrugged. “Neither does your sister. So why don’t you give her some time?” He reached up and adjusted his tie that was already lying perfectly. “Unless you’re planning on leaving right away again.”
