Her Daughter’s Funeral, Their Wedding Night

son's daught

plot in the pauper's cemetery. All that remained of Poppy-her laughter, her sticky fing

, glittering excess. The groom was Elenora's ex-husband. Poppy's biological father. The bride was t

ything he'd

r chest. Outside, the sky had split open. Rain hammered the pa

voice was careful, the way people's voices got when they were talking to someone whose child

oked down

t an altar right now, sliding a ring onto another woman's fing

had, he would

hodical thoroughness that left no room for excep

d blown through a red light and T-boned the bus carrying Elenora and Poppy. The impact had thr

ers immediately. His height. His bearing. The way people

t, her voice shredding in her throat. "Donovan! Poppy's hurt-

cked against the asphalt, and for a mome

en bored. Disgusted. "This

-a boy with minor scratches and a theatrical pout-and

bbed his pant leg. She'd been beyond pride. Beyond dignity

her like she was somethin

e gives me." His voice had been calm. Almost kind. That was the worst part. "You and the

climbed into the ambulan

bleeding on the pavement while her daughter hemorrha

own the aisle at his wedding, serving as ring be

t was a terrible s

my own," she told

ped into

e'd heard the name Montgomery. She knew better

in jacket and wrapping it around the urn. She hunched o

he whispered. "Mommy w

y the blare of a horn. A black Maybach pull

stop. She k

-

arital home. Now it belonged to Donovan and Delphine. Red and gold decorations festooned

hair plastered to her skull. Her s

ast the foyer. She was afraid Elenora

the crumpled, waterlogged divorce paper

she nudged the jacket-c

bage? Take it ou

e urn's engraved namep

aid f

ntgomery

her daugh

the urn, covering it carefully. She

-

he stood at the

into a frenzy by the storm. The beach was

urn to her chest and

stole her breath.

he whispered. "Mommy's here

her waist. Her che

osed h

the sea