Page 48 of Eleanor & Grey

There was an eerie quietness that filled our house, an uneasy feeling over everything. So, at night, I’d go stand by the water and listen to the waves crash against the shore.

That was where I felt her most—near the water. It was as if somehow she’d cheated death and landed within the waves.

On the day of the funeral, I walked by to see Camila forcing Dad out of bed. “There’s going to be a lot of days when you are down, Kevin,” she assured him, “but not today. Today you have to get up.”

Somehow, she convinced him to get out of the bed and to get dressed. I was thankful for that.

It wasn’t a big funeral, just the four of us. The service took place right there on the beach near the water.

It was what Mom had wanted, a celebration near the waves.

As I stood in the sand, my chest tightened when I saw a certain boy walking my way. The closer Greyson grew, the more confused I felt.

“Hi, Ellie,” he said with the saddest eyes ever.

“What are you…” I glanced over my shoulder toward Shay and she gave me a smile that was meant to reassure. I looked back to Greyson. “What are you doing here?”

He gave me that small smile I’d missed so much and shrugged a shoulder. “You would be shocked by how easy it is to book a plane ticket with your parents’ credit card. Sorry I’m late. My taxi driver got lost.”

I leaped into his arms without any thought. Without hesitation. Without words.

Luckily, he didn’t need words. He wrapped me in his arms and held me tight.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “She was the best.”

Yes, she was.

We walked over to the shore right as the ceremony was about to begin. In my left hand was Shay’s hand, and in my right, Greyson’s. Every time my body began to shake, they kept me steady. My stare stayed on Dad the whole time, but he didn’t look at me. He hadn’t looked at me in days. I tried not to think too much about it.

I knew he was hurting, and I knew I had Mom’s eyes. I could hardly look at myself in a mirror without tearing up.

Afterward, we were given Mom’s ashes, and we took the urn inside and set it on top of the mantel. That was where it’d stay until we figured out where to spread the ashes.

I snuck off to my bedroom to get a breath of air, and it didn’t take long for Greyson to find me.

“Are you okay?” he asked, standing in the doorway.

“No, not really.”

“Do you want to be alone?”

“No…not really.”

He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed with his hands gripping the side of the mattress. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I know I keep saying it, and I know it doesn’t do anything at all, but I am. I’m so sorry, Ellie.”

He placed his hand on top of mine, and so many feelings raced through me. I knew in my heart he’d always be one of the most important people in the world to me.

“Thanks, Grey. That means a lot.”

“I just wish I could do more.”

If only he knew how much just being there meant. That was enough.

We lay down in bed facing each other and didn’t really say much, because there wasn’t much that needed to be said. He was there, I was there, and we were us.

“He doesn’t plan to go back,” I whispered, my head resting on the pillow.

“What?”

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