Chapter 3 #2
Grams closed her eyes again and let out the most peaceful sigh.
She drifted off to sleep and didn’t wake again.
An hour later, she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly and didn’t take another breath.
Mandy nudged her arm, but she didn’t move.
Emma reached out and felt for a pulse, and there was nothing.
Jill was still holding her hand, and tears ran down her face.
“I think she’s gone.”
To Jill, the next five days were a blur.
She felt numb as they went through the motions and did the things one did at a time like this.
They met with the funeral director, a cheery woman named Charlotte, who had clearly adored Grams. “She was so full of life, that one. She came in twice over the past year to update the music. Said she wanted to make sure there was no ‘cry music’ at her service. Nothing but upbeat and happy.”
That made Jill smile. It was so like Grams. She had told all three of them often that she didn’t want her funeral to be a morbid thing with music that made people sad.
She wanted them to dance and have a party to celebrate her life.
Grams was so determined. She had already planned it all down to the very last detail.
She’d booked the funeral service, made all the arrangements, right down to picking out the coffin and music.
“I don’t want you girls to have to worry about all that.
Just remember that it’s at Cleary and Arlidge.
Call and ask for Charlotte.” Grams was certainly right about that.
It did make things easier. So much easier than it had been when Grampy died ten years ago, and they went along with Grams to get everything sorted out.
She was so sad and detached back then that it was difficult for her to focus on anything, especially the details for her husband’s funeral.
Grams had also left instructions for her mercy meal to be at Mimi’s Place, of course. She wanted everyone to enjoy themselves and to remember all the good times. Grams always did love a party.
“Eat, drink, and be merry,” Jill said, forcing a smile and lifting her glass to clink it against Mandy’s and Emma’s.
They were sitting at a big round table at Mimi’s Place.
Just being there was a comfort. It was Grams’s favorite restaurant on Nantucket by far, and it always reminded them of her.
The room was cozy and plush with dark cherrywood and soft burgundy velvet seat cushions.
What saved the room from being too dark was plenty of windows that allowed soft natural light to brighten the room.
Jill felt her muscles finally relax as she leaned back in her chair.
Everything was done now—well, almost. They still had to clear out Grams’s house, but there was no rush on that, and none of them had the energy to tackle it just yet.
Plus, they’d talked about it a bit and decided that at least for the next year or so, they’d keep it rather than selling it.
That way, they’d always have a place to call home on Nantucket.
“It would be perfect for either of you if you wanted to stay for longer than a day or two,” Mandy said. “Of course, you know you’re both always welcome to stay with me as long as you like, but this would give you your own space and peace and quiet.”
At that moment, Ray Bartlesby, who was in his late seventies and had been managing Mimi’s Place for longer than Jill had been alive, stopped by their table. Emma pulled out a chair, and he sat down.
“Your grandmother would be so pleased to see you three laughing together. She was such a special lady.”
“Ray, thank you so much for everything. As usual, the food was amazing,” Mandy said.
“Rose was like family.” Ray’s voice cracked, and his demeanor, so polished and professional at all times, slipped for just an instant, revealing a glimpse of genuine sadness.
Jill and her sisters had been a little overwhelmed and so grateful for the outpouring of sympathy and support they’d received.
So many people who had known Grams in some way over the years had come to pay their respects.
“How is your family, Ray?” Jill asked. She’d talked to his wife, Cindy, earlier, and she had mentioned that they’d just become great-grandparents for the first time and were absolutely thrilled.
“Everyone’s great, just great, thanks.” He glanced around the bustling room, full of people mingling, drinking, and eating, filling their plates at the buffet table, while servers in elegant black-and-white uniforms stocked whatever was running low and efficiently cleared empty dishes and glasses away.
“I suppose it finally is time to retire. I’ll really miss this place though. ”
Emma patted his arm. “I can’t imagine how they’ll run it without you,” she said.
Ray chuckled. “Oh, they’ll be fine. It’s just time.
Long overdue if you ask my wife. She’s ready to retire to Florida yesterday.
” He stood up as one of the servers caught his eye.
“Please excuse me. Duty calls.” Some kind of crisis in the kitchen, from the looks of it.
Jill suspected that he would miss this job quite a bit.
Retirement wouldn’t be nearly as exciting.
“This place without Ray will just seem so odd,” Mandy said.
“I used to think that too,” Emma agreed. “After all, he’s been here as long as any of us can remember.”
They were silent for a moment, and then Jill reached for the half-full bottle of Chianti in the middle of the table and refilled each of their glasses.
“Okay, so let’s talk about you now.” She focused her attention on Emma. “What are you going to do about Peter? Can you work things out, do you think?”
Emma still hadn’t shared the details with them yet.
The timing hadn’t felt right. It didn’t seem appropriate to whine about her marriage woes when they were writing Grams’s obituary and making arrangements to bury her.
But now—well, she supposed Grams would have quite a lively opinion about the matter.
“Grams never really got to know Peter. I wish she was here to give me her wisdom. I can almost hear what she’d say,” she mused.
“Was he unfaithful?” Mandy asked, and Emma just nodded. It was still too hard to say the words.
“No kidding? Who was she?” Jill exclaimed, clearly surprised by this revelation.
Emma smiled wryly. “He,” she corrected. After allowing a moment for that to register, she added, “It’s his friend Tom.”
“The one who recently moved to Phoenix?” Mandy asked.
“The very same. They evidently had a short fling when they were in college. Peter said it didn’t happen again until just recently, when Tom was transferred to Phoenix and looked him up.”
“That’s such a surprise. How do you deal with that kind of news?” Jill asked.
“Not very well,” Emma admitted with a nervous laugh. “If you’re me, you run away and hide, and you question it from every possible angle. But there are no good answers.”
“Well, you need to take a vacation and figure out what you’re going to do next.” Mandy reached over and grabbed her hand. “Stay with me, as long as you like. We have plenty of room.”
“Or come to Manhattan. We can have a blast, go shopping and out to eat, whatever you feel like doing,” Jill offered.
“Thanks, both of you. I’ve been thinking a lot about this though, and what I’ve decided is what I really need to do is focus on work and keep busy.
I’m flying home tomorrow night and moving out.
I have a room already booked at a spa in Scottsdale, and I’m going to go apartment hunting.
I can’t stay in our house anymore. There are too many memories there. ”
She saw the sympathy in their eyes and anger at Peter on her behalf, which was understandable, and she loved them for it.
“I don’t hate Peter. He is who he is, and I know he never meant to hurt me, but I just think I need some distance from him now. It’s too hard.”
Mandy wasn’t ready to give up though. “Think about staying here a few more days at least. You can easily reschedule your flight. Let us take care of you for a bit, and let yourself relax and recharge.”
Emma was too exhausted to protest. It was easier to put the decision off.
“I’ll think about it and will let you know tomorrow.
” They were meeting at the attorney’s office at eleven to go over the will.
Emma didn’t expect that to take long. Grams had a modest savings account and the house and had always told the girls that whatever she had would go to the three of them equally.
She figured she could probably suggest a nice lunch with Mandy and Jill, and then she’d be ready to head to the airport.
She was anxious to get on with her life.