He sails through the door and into the living room like he’s walking the catwalk and throws himself onto the sofa with a huff.
I glance down at my watch. I don’t want to be late for the funeral when Larry specifically asked me to come, but it’s clear something’s going on with Chan.
“Chan?” I ask tentatively.
“It’s my birthday today,” he declares with a huff, and I glance up sharply at Dusty, who just looks sad.
“Why didn’t you say your birthday was coming up? We had coffee last week,” I ask Chan with a frown.
He shrugs, picking a piece of imaginary lint from his trousers. “I swear I woke up this morning with several new grey hairs and two new wrinkles.”
“Chan…” I take a seat next to him. “You don’t have any grey, and I can’t see a single wrinkle, you know you look amazing. What’s really wrong?”
He lets out a slow breath. “This is the first time in twenty years I’ve not celebrated with Dusty.” Chan’s words mirror the sadness in Dusty’s eyes. “Last year we both turned thirty and we had a blast and I just…” He breaks off and swallows tightly, his eyes glossy as he shakes his head. “We always make a big deal of birthdays at The Rainbow Room, but I just wasn’t in the mood for it this year, so I got Ruby to cover my numbers later and I took the day off. I need some time to wallow, and I thought of you.”
“Er… thanks?”
“You know what I mean.” He sighs as he drops his head against the back of the sofa. “I miss Dusty.”
I watch as Dusty kneels down in front of him, reaching out and touching his face lightly. Chan lifts his fingers to his face, lightly tracing the skin Dusty had just caressed.
“I know you’re here,” Chan whispers. “I wish I could see you… I would give anything to be able to hear your voice again.”
“Me too,” Dusty replies and I can see the longing in her eyes. “I miss holding you.”
“She says she misses holding you.”
“God, this is killing me, Tris.” Chan blinks back the tears.
“Give yourself a break, Chan. It’s only been six months, you and Dusty spent most of your lives together. I can only imagine how hard it is adjusting to losing the most important person in your life.”
“It’s even worse because I know she’s right next to me, but I can’t see or hear her,” he laments.
“I know.” I nod sympathetically, once again glancing down at my watch. “I’m really sorry, but I have somewhere I have to be, and I can’t cancel, but I don’t want to leave you like this.”
“Where are you going?”
“To a funeral, the one for that old lady I told you about last week. Mrs Abernathy? It’s her funeral today, and her niece, Larry–”
“Larry?”
“Clarissa,” I explain. “But everyone calls her Larry. She asked if I would go because she’s worried there won’t be many people there, but I kinda feel like I should be going anyway, considering her aunt has been my houseguest since she died.”
Chan shrugs. “Okay. Then I’ll come.”
“Where?”
“To the funeral.”
“You want to come with me to the funeral of someone you’ve never met?” I blink slowly.
He shrugs again. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask.” I shake my head. “But you can’t go to a funeral for your birthday.”
“Sounds like it perfectly suits my mood.”
“I really don’t think you’re in the right emotional headspace to go to a funeral right now.”
