Vera smiled when her sister looked up, obviously sensing she was no longer alone.
Vera attempted to hurry her steps, but she didn’t trust her balance completely just yet. Her symptoms were definitely lessening, but she still felt out of sorts.
“Hey, Vee.” Luna patted the marble bench. “Sit with me.”
Vera settled next to her little sister. Gave her a hug. Luna and that big old belly. It was still hard to believe their baby sister was about to be a mother. “Eve says the surgery went well.”
“It did. His vitals are stable, and the doctor is hoping he’ll be able to wake up and stay that way for longer periods soon. Until now he’s barely opened his eyes. He struggles to speak but can’t seem to form the words. Nothing comes out coherently. It’s so awful seeing him like that.”
“So he’s still in and out.” Vera held out hope that Mr. Andrews would wake up and explain what had happened to his wife. Like maybe he was the one who caused this tragedy.
Vera could hope. Not that she wished more pain on the Andrews family, but she’d rather it be anyone except Luna. Selfish as the thought might be.
“He is. But there’s still hope he’ll make a full recovery. Some patients just take a different path toward that result.”
Good way to look at it. “I’m sorry you had to drive back alone.” Vera wished she had been with her sister. She wouldn’t have this damned concussion right now if she had been with Luna. The drive back would have been a good time to talk as well.
“It’s fine,” Luna assured her. “It gave me a chance to think.” She smiled. “Jerome was so sweet. He urged me to leave right after the surgery was over, so I’d get out of Nashville before rush hour. I decided to stop here before going on home.”
“Jerome is a good husband.” Vera was so happy that Luna had found such an amazing husband. She hoped this misfortune wasn’t going to damage their relationship. Sadly, the potential was there.
“He is.” Luna’s lips quivered.
Vera reached for her hand, held it tight. As they sat in silence, she noticed the fresh flowers on the graves. She looked to Luna. “Did you bring those?”
“Eve and I brought them. When Jerome had to leave after his father’s heart attack, she thought it would make me feel better to do something besides sit in the house.”
Smart. “Before I forget”—Vera settled her gaze on her mother’s headstone—“Mama, Eve says to tell you hi. You too, Daddy.” Then she felt bad for leaving Luna’s mother out. “To you as well, Sheree.” The memory of dragging the woman’s dead weight down that staircase and then hefting her into the trailer flashed in Vera’s aching head. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced the recall away. Ancient history.
“I’m glad they’re here together.” Luna looked to Vera. “We’re all family.”
“We most certainly are.” Vera draped her arm around Luna’s shoulders. She pressed her forehead to hers. “Anything you want to talk about, I’m always available. Even if I’m in the middle of work, I can stop.”
Luna peered up at her. “I know I can always count on you, Vee. Just like Eve always could. You’re a good sister to both of us, and we’re very lucky to have you.”
“Ditto.” Vera smiled. Swiped a tear from her sister’s cheek. “And this is going to be okay. It’ll be a little tough for a while. But this”—she placed a hand on Luna’s belly—“little baby is going to steal everyone’s attention. There won’t be time to worry about the past, no matter how painful.”
Luna placed her hand atop Vera’s and stared at them.“Do you believe a baby can hear what’s happening outside their mother’s body at this stage?”
“I’ve heard that’s the case.” Since she had never been pregnant or ever expected to be, Vera hadn’t actually done any research on the subject, but she’d heard other knowledgeable people say as much. There was, she thought, extensive information to be found. “After they’re born, babies usually recognize their parents’ voices, so the idea makes sense.”
Luna lapsed into silence then. They sat, staring at the headstones marking the graves of their parents. Vera wasn’t sure how long they continued that way, but she wasn’t moving until Luna did. It felt very much like Luna needed exactly this right now, and Vera intended to give it to her for as long as possible.
“Do you believe that sometimes people die because it’s the best thing for everyone else in their lives?”
Vera relaxed her body when every muscle tried to stiffen. “I suppose that can happen. There are people with terminal illnesses who take their own lives because they feel it will be better for those around them. I don’t know if that’s the best decision or not. I imagine it is for some, maybe not for others.”
Luna drew away. “I don’t mean people who are sick. I’m referring to the ones who are so mean and so awful that everyone around them is happier—better off—when they’re gone.”
Vera wasn’t about to confirm any such suggestion—not when it was clear Luna was searching for empathy or some level of agreement on the subject. “Do you mean like the idea of God stepping in and taking them out of the way or another person doing so?”
“Either one, I guess.”
That’s what Vera thought she was saying. “As far as what is presumed to be an act of God, I really can’t say. There are plenty of strong believers who would say so. I’ve certainly known plenty of cases where people made the decision to intervene when a situation became unbearable.”
Vera searched for a way to soften the concept of vigilantism. “Most folks are relieved when a serial killer or someone who hurts children is executed or ends up dead in a shoot-out with the police or a victim of an avenging loved one. But even killers generally have family. Someone who’s sad to see them gone. Who’s to say? I’ve been forced to make that decision as a cop, and it’s not an easy one to make or to look back on. Taking a life, I mean.”
Luna exhaled a deep sigh. “I know it sounds awful.” She turned to Vera. “But you said I could tell you anything.”
