Page 129 of The Woman Left Behind

Shane grabbed hold of his sister like Harry had Lillian.

“I miss her singing,” Sherise said.

“I miss his really bad jokes,” Shane said.

“I just miss my friends,” George said.

“Well, they left us Lillian. And they left us a bucketload of good memories,” Ronetta stated into what had become maudlin. “They left us with the way they lived with us, nothing but good and happy.”

Harry took his wineglass and lifted it but said nothing.

“Hear. Hear,” George said it for him, lifting his own.

Everyone grabbed their glasses.

“To Sonny and Av,” George made the toast. “The best neighbors you could have. The best friends you could have. The best people there could be. I had a family of four when they moved in next door, but the minute they did, we all had a family of seven. Now they might be gone, but our family remains strong, and they’ll always be a part of it.”

“To Sonny and Av!” everyone said.

They all drank.

Lillian turned her head to give Harry’s jaw a kiss, then straightened in her chair.

And they all ate great food in the company of family.

Harry surrounded her with him in her bed before he gave it to her.

So Lillian sat between his legs, his arms around her middle, as she read the last message her mother had for her.

There was an explanation of why they left her behind.

There was also a message of love.

Lillian didn’t say anything for much longer than Harry knew it took her to read the letter.

Then he watched as she ran her fingertips over the words, like she could touch her mom again through her cursive.

“Will I get the original back?” she asked.

It was evidence, and likely not important enough not to be released, but in the unlikely event it was deemed so, he silently vowed he’d get it back for her anyway.

“Yes,” he said.

“I wish…” She didn’t finish that.

Harry gave her a squeeze. “What do you wish, sweetheart?”

“That she’d sent this. That they’d gone direct to the police department. That they’d kept driving. That they’d hidden in their room and never left.” Her voice grew small. “That they were still here.”

So he didn’t lose hold on her, Harry moved her hair out of his way with his chin and buried his face in her neck.

“Thank you for bringing me a copy of this, Harry,” she whispered.

As his response, he kissed her neck and lifted away.

She was now holding the letter to her chest, and she leaned back into him.

“And thank you for not letting Shane scare you away,” she went on, lightening the mood, but keeping her mother’s letter clasped to her.

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