Page 178 of Share with Me

Brinley sucked in her tears.

“It’s unbearable for me too, but I have to go for Quincy’s sake.” Zoe dabbed her eyes.

Brinley didn’t tell Zoe that there would be no closure here. Life was a continuum, and Yun simply adjourned to heaven. Someday Brinley would see Yun again. That comforted her. The certainty she had about it was unmistakable, a confirmation that she was really a believer now. The course of her eternal destiny had changed.

“You’ll be fine, Zoe.” Brinley patted her sister’s shoulder. “I’ll come if you want me to.”

“I do.”

Brinley held Zoe’s arm as they made their way to an awaiting car. Silently, the funeral procession went up Frederica Road.

* * *

As Grandma’scasket was lowered into the ground, all Ivan could think of was, “What now?”

For six years he had been singularly focused on providing for Grandma Yun. They had managed to survive, so he wasn’t altogether a failure at that. Now that Grandma was dead, everything she had owned was in the grandchildren’s name, but it still had three mortgages, and with three payments behind on the primary loan, he knew it was a matter of days before the McMillan family home went into foreclosure.

Willow had no money.

Quincy—never mind. He was living off Zoe.

I’m sure that says a lot about us to Brinley. What an embarrassment to the McMillan name.

To Ivan’s left was Quincy, looking either stunned or stoic. Ivan couldn’t tell. Next to him, Zoe was crying quietly. She had hardly known Grandma, but perhaps her pregnancy made her a bit more emotional than usual. The rest of the McMillan and Park family members were around them with Grandma’s only surviving sibling, a younger brother, in the front, face sullen. The oldest living relative now.

As Pastor Gonzalez read passages from the Holy Bible, Ivan kept thinking that Brinley should be standing next to them.

Where is she?

He had seen her get out of the car with Zoe earlier as they crossed the lawn to the gravesite. He had wanted to go to her, kiss away the tears from her eyes, and tell her everything was going to be all right.

But it wasn’t his place.

It was over between them.But who was that guy sitting next to her in the last row back at Seaside Chapel?

When the graveside service was all over, Ivan backed out of the crowd to look for Brinley, against his better judgment. He wanted to see her. Make sure she was okay. Make sure she could go on.

That’s all.

Ivan found her at the back of the crowd, dabbing her eyes on a wad of tissue soaked all the way through. She didn’t seem to realize he was walking toward her. Didn’t even look up when he folded her into his arms, his splint pressing against her back through her black sweater. He felt her snuggle against him inside his coat as if she knew who he was without even looking.

They stayed that way for a while, silently grieving for Grandma Yun.

Ivan didn’t want to let her go.

What have I done to this poor thing?

Poor?

It is I who am poor in all manner of it.

Ivan rubbed Brinley’s back. She spoke not a word.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. He didn’t know why he did that. He sure didn’t want to send her mixed signals. It was over between them. This was a final goodbye.

Or was it?

Brinley pulled her arms from around his waist. Without a word, she walked away.

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