Royce(26)

Royce laid his head on his desk. He was an ass and he hated himself more in that moment than he had in his entire life. He sat up and spoke again to Bobbie.

“Let me know if I can do anything for them. Anything. I’m going to call my mom now, but you have my number if she…if they need anything.”

“I will. You’re such a dear boy. I know that they knew this was going to happen, but I don’t think you’re ever prepared. The poor girl and Jay…I don’t think I’ve seen a man more devastated than he was today.”

Royce called his mother when he got off the phone with Bobbie. “Mom, I have to tell you something. Can you meet me at my house? It’s really important.”





Chapter 9



Kasey sat in the chair near her mother’s casket. Every time she looked at the daises decorating the top she felt tears slide down her face. She kept reaching out and running her hand over the top of the casket, wanting more than anything to have her mom back there beside her. She looked up when someone touched her arm.

“Hello, sweetheart. How you holding up?”

Kasey nodded and turned back to her mom. She didn’t know who most of the people were who came to talk to her. Maybe she did, but she didn’t care. She wanted them all to go away and leave her to her misery, but they just kept touching her and trying to have a conversation with her. She only knew one person she wanted to talk to and she wasn’t speaking to her.

“Kasey, honey, can you please come back under the shelter? You’ll get sick if you don’t.” Uncle Jay. She turned to look at him. “Come on, baby, you can’t get sick. Let me help you pull the chair under the shelter.”

She realized it was raining. Not a hard pour, but enough that she was getting soaked. Someone was standing next to him and she tried to stand, but she lost her footing in the wet grass and nearly tumbled.

“I’ve got you. Come on.” She looked up into the face of Royce and tried to pull away. “Let me put you over here and then I’ll let you go. Come on, Kasey, your uncle’s right, you need to stay healthy.”

“My mom is gone. She died and left me. She was doing so much better and now…what am I supposed to do now?”

He didn’t answer her, not that she thought he would. He was there because her family…well, her uncle worked for him. It was nice of him to show up, but not necessary. She didn’t want anyone there, as a matter of fact, and wished again that they’d go away.

She sat in the chair and looked at the casket again. The daisies where getting wet, she realized, and thought someone should cover them up. Then a small giggle escaped her mouth. They were flowers and needed to be wet. She looked up when someone stood in front of her.

Mrs. Hunter, Kasey remembered. She’d only seen the woman a couple of times. But she still remembered her. She stood up and took her hand. When she started to slip again, Mrs. Hunter steadied her.

“Why don’t you have a seat, dear? You look all done in.” She sat in the chair next to the one Royce had put her in. Kasey turned to look at the casket again. “I’m so sorry about your mother, Kasey. She was a nice woman.”

Kasey turned to look at her. “You knew her? She never…at the Christmas thingy. She went with my uncle Jay last year. Yes, I remember now. She told me that you said she had on a pretty dress.”

“She talked about you. She was so very proud of you. She told me that she couldn’t ask for a better daughter.”

Kasey started crying again. “I was a shitty daughter. She was alone when she died because I wanted my own place. What kind of daughter turns down living with their mother when she knows she is going to die?”

“Stop that right now, young lady.” Kasey turned to look at Mrs. Hunter. “You know better than that. She raised you to be independent and I doubt very much your mother was anything but happy for you.”

Kasey felt herself being pulled into a warm hug and she lost the little control she had over her tears. She sobbed in earnest now, her heart broken, and feeling so lost she clung to the woman who held her until she had no more tears left. When she pulled away from her Kasey felt stupid and tried to move away as she apologized.

“I’m so sorry. I’ve had a bad few weeks. And my mother would be so…she’d be so unhappy with me if she could see what I’ve been doing.” Kasey blew her nose on her damp tissue. “I thank you for just now. I didn’t realize I needed that.”

“Kasey,” Mrs. Hunter said softly. “Royce told me what happened between the two of you. He said you and him have been fighting and that he wants to talk to you.”