Scotlyn rested her head against my shoulder and brought the blanket under her chin. “Sometimes, when I’m sitting here with you like this, I have to assure myself that this is all real. You make me incredibly happy, Nix Pierce.” She lifted her face and kissed my cheek.
That was my cue. I took a deep breath and reached for the box. She hadn’t noticed it in my hand yet. “Scottie, please promise me that you’ll be with me forever.” I lifted the box up above the blanket and opened it. Her blue eyes rounded as she looked at the ring. I turned toward her. “Scotlyn James, will you marry me?”
Her mouth parted, and she gazed speechlessly at the ring. My phone rang again. I was crossing my sister off the wedding list.
Scotlyn looked at my phone with worry. “You need to answer it.” Unfathomable hardship and heartbreak had given her an uncanny ability to sense trouble. I grabbed the phone. “Diana?”
“Nix,” Diana sobbed. I knew what was coming next before the words even came through the phone. “Nana’s gone.”
Scotlyn read my expression, and her hands flew to her face.
“Diana, I’ll call you back in a few.” I couldn’t keep the waver out of my voice. I stuck the ring box back in my pocket and pulled Scotlyn into my arms.
Chapter 2
Scotlyn
Nana looked more fragile today than usual, but her eyes sparkled with a gleam I hadn’t seen before. She was sitting propped up against her pillow. My usual chair had already been placed by her bedside. There were days when it took her a few moments to remember who I was. She’d only known me for just over a year. I wasn’t one of the lucky people who had known her their whole life, but we’d grown extremely close in the short time. Nana had wanted her memoirs written in long hand, insisting every story turned out more interesting in handwriting. And my long years of silence had taught me to be an extremely fast writer.
Helping her write down her long, wonderful history before it was shredded away by her disease had helped me more than it had helped her. Her life story, complete with humor, adventure and plenty of heartbreak, had helped me face my own terrible tragedy. In her youth, Nana had been an academic, a left wing activist, what some might have called a radical. But to me, she had been part of the same culture as my parents. But while Nana’s hardcore edge had softened as she grew older, my own parents had not had the chance to mellow with age.
“Come sit, Scotlyn.” Her smile glowed as usual, but there was something behind it today. “We are not going to write memoirs today.”
I placed the paper pad and pen on the nightstand.
“Oh, but you’ll need that, my dear.” The haze in her pale eyes grew more opaque each day. “My doctor says my heart is not going to last much longer.”
I bit back tears and took hold of her hand. It was soft and mottled with age spots.
“No tears, please, my dear. You know, I consider myself lucky to go long before my memory is completely erased.” She patted my hand. “Now, here’s what I have in mind, and we must hurry because the drugs, the B-12 shot, and my enthusiasm for this have sharpened my mind today. I’m going to dictate a letter for you to read at my funeral.”
My mouth dropped open. “Me?”
“Yes. And it won’t all be sugar and roses.”
I laughed. “A letter from you? No, I wouldn’t expect sugar and roses.”
“There will be plenty of heartfelt words, but I thought it might be fun to slap a few people from the grave. More effective, I think.”
I smiled. “I might need a few shots of whiskey to deliver the letter, but if it’s your wish, then I’m at your command.”
“Wonderful. I know you can do it.” Her smile always reminded me of warm tea and honey on a dreary day. “I can’t think of a lovelier person to be my voice at my own funeral. Of course, that is, assuming people will show up to it.” She laughed.
“I’m sure they will.”
“I’ve told Diana what my wishes are, but perhaps, I should tell you too. My granddaughter sometimes has a hard time hearing over her own opinions.”
I smiled. I’d only met Nix’s sister a few times, but I’d already come to that conclusion about her.
“I want a gravesite funeral only, because I want to be by my husband and son’s sides as quickly as possible. No in between baloney. And no open casket. Please don’t let anyone see me dead. People never look their best when they’re dead.”
Nana was one of the few people who could make you want to cry and laugh in the same moment.
“Well, shall we get started?” she asked. “Scotlyn?”