Chapter 52
Chapter Fifty-Two
M itch sat quietly next to Harper as the director of the assisted-living facility, an older man with a weak chin and a strong mustache named Stan Hunsberger, explained the paperwork and pointed out where to sign.
She nodded and “uh-hmm’d” and clicked the end of the pen. She carefully signed her name, turning page after page to add her signature several more times.
When she was done, she pushed the paperwork back toward the director.
“That’s it,” Stan said. “The cremation will be taken care of in the next week or so, and the cremains sent to you by insured mail. All that’s left to take care of are her possessions.”
Consternation wrinkled Harper’s brow. “I didn’t think she had much with her. Just some clothes, right? Those can be donated. I’m sure it’s what she would have wanted.”
Stan nodded. “That’s fine, but our policy is that a family member has to go through everything.”
Probably covering themselves from a legal angle, Mitch imagined. But it was going to be hard on Harper.
She gave a little sigh. “Is there much more than clothing?”
“Not too much. Some books, some small personal items. A few pieces of jewelry, that sort of thing. I have it all for you in the conference room, if you’d like to follow me there.”
Harper glanced at Mitch. He nodded. This was no bother for him. He was here for whatever she needed to do. “All right,” she said. “I’m sure it won’t take a minute.”
Stan got up. “You’re welcome to take all the time you need. We certainly aren’t going to rush you.”
“Thanks.” Harper got to her feet.
Mitch waited until she’d gone past him, then got out of his chair and followed her.
They left the office and went with Stan down the hall. The conference room was only two doors away. He opened the door but stayed in the hall. “If you need anything, just let us know.”
Harper nodded. “Thank you.”
Stan left and Harper went in, Mitch behind her. He put his hand on the doorknob but didn’t shut it. “Do you want me to wait out in the lobby?”
“No, this won’t take long. Stay.”
“Okay.” He closed the door and stood by the wall, out of the way. There were two good-sized cardboard boxes on the table and a large, clear plastic bag, the kind used to line large waste bins. The bag was filled with folded clothing.
Harper went to the bag, untied the loose knot, and looked through it. She took out a white cardigan, embroidered with small, purple flowers and set it aside. She shook her head. “Nothing else in here I want, so all of this can be donated. I think it’s what Mom would want. She hated things going to waste.”
Mitch nodded. So far, she was doing all right.
She tied up the bag, moved to the first box and opened it, inhaling softly as she surveyed the contents. She swallowed before speaking. “Mom’s books.” She let out a little breath, a soft, almost amused sound, and reached into the box. “You’re not going to believe this.”
She took out an old, worn copy of The Light Within .
He blinked. “How about that.”
She smiled at the book. “I gave her this years ago. Right after I read it for the first time. I wanted her to have her own copy so she’d read it, and we could talk about it. She did, too.”
“You never told me about that.”
Harper nodded. “I’d kind of forgotten it, I guess.” She opened the book and paged through it. “Wow, look at this.” She held it out to him. There were notes in the margins. Passages underlined. Pages dogeared.
Mitch lifted his brows. “She took her reading pretty seriously, huh?”
“That was my mom. She knew I wanted to talk about it, so she read closely and paid attention.” Harper hugged the book to her chest and looked up at the ceiling. “I miss her so much. I’ve missed her for a long time, but this reminds me all over of just how incredible she was…”
“I know.” He put his arm around her. “I wish I could have known her. She sounds amazing.” He squeezed Harper a little tighter. “And I’m not just saying that because she was clearly a fan.”
Harper laughed and looked at him, eyes shining with unshed tears. “She would have loved getting to talk to you about your books. And she’d have been thrilled that we’re…involved.”
“So a fan and smart.” He winked at her then looked in the box. More books in a wide variety of genres. “Your mom was well-read.”
“She read constantly. When she was first in here, I used to bring her books every time I came to visit. Later, as she lost her ability to do that comfortably, I got her audiobooks. Even those were too much for her to keep up with after a while.”
Mitch felt the weight of Harper’s memories. He understood how they could press down on you. How they could drag you under if you let them. “If you want to take all of these back, we can. It’s First Class. They aren’t going to charge for extra luggage. We’ll buy a cheap suitcase and pack it full.”
She took a breath like she was getting ready to argue, then nodded. “I would like that very much. Thanks.”
“Consider it done.”
She put the book back in, then closed the box up and moved on to the next one. She opened it and a soft, flowery scent wafted out. Harper closed her eyes. “Do you smell that? Lily of the Valley. That was her perfume.”
“Very feminine. And a little old-fashioned.” He smiled. “In a good way. It’s exactly how a mom should smell, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “Yeah, it is.”
He took a step back. “Take your time.”
She rummaged through the box a little. She took out a worn, blue leatherette clamshell jewelry case, about the size that might hold a necklace. She opened it and smiled. “My mom’s watch and her wedding band, both of which she always wore. This strand of pearls is ancient. It was a gift from her parents when she graduated high school. She wore it when she married my dad.”
“You should keep those, don’t you think?”
She nodded. “Definitely.” She closed the jewelry case and looked in the box again. “Maybe a few other things in here.”
“Let’s bring it all back. We’ll just buy a bigger suitcase.”
She turned to look at him. “Thank you. Can we do that? I would love not to have to decide about all this right now.”
“You shouldn’t have to. There’s no need. Let’s grab these boxes and get out of here. If you’re good with that?”
“Very good with that.” She tucked the cardigan into the box and closed it.
“I’ll take the books, you take that box, and let’s go.” He grabbed the box of books, which was heavy, but nothing he couldn’t manage.
She picked up the other box and they went back to Stan’s office. The door was open, and he was behind his desk. They paused in front of it.
Stan looked up. “All done?”
“We are,” Harper said. “The bag of clothes left on the table can be donated. The rest we’re going to take.”
“Very good,” Stan said. “You need anything else, don’t hesitate to call me. It was our honor to take care of your mother. She was a wonderful lady.”
“Thank you. Goodbye.” Harper headed straight for the exit with long strides, like she was eager to get out of the place.
Mitch didn’t blame her. The memories had to be overwhelming. How she was keeping it together, he had no idea. Except that she was strong. That much he knew.
When they reached the car, he balanced the box on his hip and pushed the button to lift the tailgate. He let Harper put her box in first, then he added the books.
He closed the gate and checked the time. It was nearly five. A little early for dinner, maybe, but this wasn’t their time zone, either. “What do you want to do? Are you hungry? Or do you want to go to the hotel and get checked in?”
They’d already discussed staying in Laughlin rather than driving back to Vegas after their meeting. “Let’s go to the hotel, check in, then…” She bit her lip. “Could we just order pizza, lay on the bed, and watch a movie? I don’t want to go anywhere. I’m not in the mood to be around people. I just want to stay in with you.”
He smiled. “Great plan. I’m in.”
She hugged him, holding on tight. He embraced her, giving her whatever time she needed. “This is hard,” she whispered. “But you’ve made it easier.”
“I’m so glad.” He kissed her temple.
She leaned back. “You know what I said over breakfast, about not being able to answer you about the trip? It wasn’t because I don’t want to do that with you. I do. It just felt like, I don’t know, I shouldn’t be making plans to have fun when my mom had just passed.”
He nodded. “I know. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m the first person who should have realized the timing was wrong. It’s not a big deal.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
He pushed a loose strand of hair off her cheek. “I’m thinking pepperoni and extra cheese.”
Harper smiled. “Definitely extra cheese. And maybe some garlic knots. And something chocolate.”
Mitch would have found her caviar and champagne if that’s what she wanted. “We will make that happen.”