Shannon manages a small laugh. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” As soon as Grace’s mom is in the shower, I make a few calls, including ordering a cleaning service. It’s the least I can do, make things a little easier for her. At least to help her over the next few weeks.
I call a meal delivery service and sign her up for the next six months because cooking and eating will be at the bottom of her list for at least that long.
Shannon appears in the kitchen looking better in jeans and a black top highlighting her pale skin and red-rimmed eyes.
“In the shower, I thought to myself, McKenna is right. This feels good. And then I was thinking about all the times I yelled at Grace as a teenager for taking such long and expensive showers. But now, I’ll never get to yell at her again.”
“I had a strange dream last night and texted her about it before I remembered that she wouldn’t answer. It sucks.”
Shannon smiles. “It totally fucking sucks that we’ll never see her smiling face again. She’ll never help either of us pick out the right outfit for a date, not ever again.”
Her grief is so palpable that I feel guilty about my own.
Shannon sits across the table from me while the coffee pot bubbles and hisses behind us. She reaches for my hands, and somehow I work up the courage to ask, “Ms. Davies, have you heard from Grace’s boyfriend?”
Her brows dip in confusion. “I didn’t even know there was a boyfriend.”
Oh, no. “Don’t feel bad. She only told me that he existed. No name or details.”
“It’s my fault,” Shannon admits. “I made some bad choices when Grace was a girl, and she’s never forgiven me for some of them. That’s how I knew your friendship was special because she introduced us. She never introduced me to any of her friends, just you.”
“Grace and I were closer than I have ever been to anyone. Even my sister.”
“She told me you disapproved of your sister’s new boyfriend. Do you still?”
“Yes, but maybe that’s why Grace didn’t tell me about her boyfriend? Maybe she was worried I’d disapprove of him too?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Truth is, Grace inherited more from me than her eyes. Unfortunately, she also got my God-awful taste in men, and that’s probably why she didn’t tell you.”
The bittersweet smile she’s wearing breaks my heart all over again.
“I hope that’s the reason,” I answer guiltily.
We talk about Grace for the next hour, sharing memories of the good times we had with her. The vacation to Cabo I paid for against her wishes. “She insisted on buying shots all week,” I remember with a laugh.
“She couldn’t believe you were so generous that you wanted her there bad enough to pay her way. She thought you were the nicest person she ever met underneath the snark and cold rich girl exterior. Her words, not mine.”
I smile at Shannon’s words because it’s nice to hear that, even the cold rich girl exterior part.
“I loved Grace like a sister. I wasn’t the same with her as I was with everyone else.”
Something about her made me better, and now that she’s gone, will I go back to being nothing more than a rich bitch?
“But what if—” My words are cut off by the sound of the doorbell.
Shannon rises with a hint of surprise and gives me a second to gather my emotions while she answers the door. Two minutes later, she comes back with a small smile.
“McKenna, this is too generous. Too much food.”
“It’s really not. Meals and cleaning will be the last things on your mind for a while, and this is something I can do to help. Accept it. Please.”
Shannon nods and drops down in the chair. “This makes it really hard to ask what I need to ask of you. It’s a big favor, but I just can’t do it. I can’t.”
“Ask away.”
“Grace’s lease is up in a week, and they want her place emptied out so they can rent it.” She rolls her eyes in disgust. “Her body isn’t even cold yet, and they want to start showing the place.”
Angel Towers is the place to live for up-and-coming young professionals. Grace was so happy when they accepted her application for rental. “You want me to pack up everything?”
“Is that too much to ask?”
“Not at all,” I tell her and place a reassuring hand on top of hers. “I’ll take care of it.”
Her shoulders sink in relief. “Thank you, McKenna. The idea of my sweet baby girl’s life reduced to boxes and trinkets. That’s too much to take right now, especially knowing there probably won’t be any justice for my Grace.”
I don’t tell her that I’ll do everything in my power to make sure Grace’s killer gets what he deserves. “I’m here to help. We’ll get through this. Anything you need, I’m here.”