‘But what about you, Mia? She was your mom too. Are you OK?’
Mia shook her head slowly. ‘Not really, but I’m dealing with it better than my stubborn brother. I talk to people. I let my feelings out. He just bottles it all up.’
Willow could feel pressure in her chest, building up around her heart. ‘I feel so bad.’
‘Don’t. He just needs time. He needs to grieve tonight—’
‘And then?’
Mia shrugged, a tiny smile returning. ‘And then tomorrow is another day.’
Chapter 24
Lucas
Lucas put the record player on in the apartment and played another one of his mom’s favorites – Dolly Parton. Her rich, sweet voice swelled through the room as he sat back on the couch with his cold beer. He was exhausted, not just physically but emotionally too, and it was all he could do to keep the tears back. However, he knew if he started, he would never stop.
‘I don’t want you to be sad,’ his mom had told him towards the end. ‘Remember the good times we had together. Focus on the future. Sadness will only root you in the past.’
He had tried so hard to follow her advice, but today especially had been difficult.
Maybe if he had made a success of it, he might have felt differently, but the truth was, the day had been a disaster and had done little to serve her memory. He hated the fact that he had let her down and it didn’t matter how much Mia or Janice tried to tell him otherwise – he knew he should have done better.
It was a bitter pill to swallow.
He took another slug of beer and kicked his feet onto the table. Right now, he needed to stop thinking, to resthis mind and try to forget his worries, but it wasn’t easy. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his mom’s face and then Willow’s – and they both weren’t particularly happy with him.
The door opened and Mia walked in, startling him. She was carrying the large remains of his blueberry cheesecake.
‘I can’t believe this didn’t sell better,’ she declared. ‘I’ve given Janice a chunk to take home and share with her family. I think we should have a slice now.’
He took another slug from his beer. ‘I’m not that hungry, Mia.’
She glared at him and placed the cheesecake squarely on the table. ‘I’m not going to let you sink any further, Luc. So what – the day didn’t go as you planned. It doesn’t matter. Do you think Mom would care? You can’t sit around here feeling sorry for yourself.’
He didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure he could. He picked at the label on his drink instead, wishing that Mia would both leave him alone but also never go again.
It was a weird juxtaposition.
Maybe his brain was finally fried?
‘All Mom would be worried about is digging you out of this hole you’ve gotten yourself in.’ She sighed. ‘You put too much pressure on yourself. Today didn’t matter. It’s just a day.’
‘I should have promoted it better,’ he replied. ‘Look at Willow, she had lines drifting right into town. That could’ve been me if I’d made more of an effort.’
Mia flopped down next to him. ‘Yeah, well that’s another thing. Willow? You were pretty rude to her. She didn’t deserve that.’
Lucas stared down at his lap. ‘Is she OK? I didn’t mean to snap at her like that. I wasn’t thinking clearly.’
‘I think she’s hurt.’
He breathed out; a snatching pain was taking hold in his chest. ‘She hurt me too, Mia. I thought she would know the date. I thought she would realize what it meant to me. To us!’
Especially after the moments they had had together. He still hoped they meant something. Even if Willow didn’t want a relationship with him, surely she would want to be friends?
Or was all this a cruel game of hers?
‘I don’t think she knows which way is up at the moment, Luc. Her life has been turned upside down. She left her job and her boyfriend. She’s trying this new thing, but she has no idea if it’ll work or not. She’s trying to fit in again. She’s just as lost as you are, I think …’
