Sugar Lust

Chapter Seventeen

The funeral was held off for a week. The officials needed time to do an autopsy. The police's assumption all along was that Nicholas had suffered some natural, catastrophic internal event. Still, Dorothy started screaming murder the moment she saw her son's lifeless body to anyone that would listen. Her words didn't take long to get back to Emmeline, leaving her numb but not surprised after everything that had happened.

The result was final: brain aneurysm. But Dorothy never believed it. Even her husband couldn't convince her or prevent her from lashing out determined that even if Emmeline didn't take a gun and shoot him, she might as well have after all the stress she put him under. She worked him too hard. She ruined his life, destroyed his dreams. Emmeline killed him, her baby boy.

Emmeline tried to block Dorothy out the best she could, but the words echoed in her brain. She knew Dorothy's grief had completely unbalanced her, and yet Emmeline blamed herself too. Maybe she had pushed him too far? Still, she thought, Dorothy had been more erratic over the past year. With the death of her son, she was uncontrollable.

Emmeline dreaded going to the funeral, but there was no way she could avoid it, or even should. Besides, even though Millie was so young, she should be there. They made it until after the service at the funeral home before the cruelty began again.

"You killed him. Admit it," hissed Dorothy, yanking out a few more strands of hair. The coldness in her voice was unmissable as she stood in front of her son's coffin where Emmeline had placed loose Gerbera daisies on top of the closed half. They seemed out of place next to the elaborate professional bouquets of roses around them.

Emmeline couldn't even respond. She ran out of the funeral parlor, clutching Millie in her arms, with Ginny screaming in the background to defend her. Callum chased after Emmeline while her parents were left standing horrified, frozen in place amongst the deafening quiet of the rest of the funeral attendees.

Callum found Emmeline at the bottom of the church steps, retching and clutching her daughter. He took Millie into his arms as the little one sucked loudly on her fingers. Millie's black satin gown was wrinkled and covered in drool. As Callum sat on the church steps, he settled Millie on his lap, and she immediately tried to stick her fingers into his mouth. He pushed her hands away and put his arm around Emmeline. She cried into his shoulder.

"I wish I could bring him back," Callum said, his voice catching.

"I know, me too. I can hardly believe this is real."

"I know I can't replace him, but I'll do what I can. I promise I will always be there to help you two."

"Whatever you need, I'll be there. You won't even have to ask," he promised.

"Thank you," Emmeline said. "It means more to me than you'll ever know." Her words paled compared to what she was feeling at that moment. She felt like, perhaps for just a second, there would be life after this, that there was some hope out there. Most importantly, she felt she wouldn't have to do this all alone.

Ginny stormed out of the funeral parlor, and the four of them went back to the train. Emmeline put Millie down for a nap, and they spent the rest of the night talking. It was good to have friends. She didn't feel so alone, so helpless.

It was like just as soon as she figured her life out, the rug was pulled out from underneath her. Now she had so much to think about. She needed a job and to arrange daycare. She needed to leave the train; she knew she couldn't stay without him. That wasn't the arrangement. Besides, it was coming to the end of their allowed time there anyway. A sickening feeling overcame her—she might have to go back to her parent's house. Her life was like puzzle pieces scattered, and she had no idea how to make sense of them.