Melissa would still be offended that grief disrupted her engagement
season.
The money did not destroy our family.
It revealed who suddenly found me worth pursuing.
PART 8 — MELISSA
Melissa came alone.
She texted first.
Can I please see you? No parents. No money talk.
I agreed to meet at a café.
She looked older than she had six months earlier.
Or maybe I did.
“I didn’t know Dad said it like that,” she began.
“You knew they skipped the funeral.”
She stared at her coffee.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you come?”
Her answer took too long.
“I thought Mom and Dad were right that maybe you’d want privacy.”
“At a public funeral?”
“I know how that sounds.”
“Do you?”
She started crying.
“I was angry.”
“About what?”
“That everything was happening on my birthday.”
For a moment I could not speak.
She covered her face.
“I know. It’s disgusting.”
