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The Funeral That Ended Us 10
By the spring of my third year abroad, I got my long-term work visa.Helen threw me a small party.My name was on the cake.Evelyn Whitmore.I looked at those words for a long time.For years, I had thought my name would always come with someone else's.Adrian's fiancée. The older Whitmore daughter. Nina's sister.None of those titles belonged to me anymore.Losing them had hurt. For a while, I'd felt empty.But I was still here.I moved into my new place.The balcony was small, but it got plenty of sunlight.I bought a few pots of flowers. Two died. The rest slowly bloomed.On weekends, I went to the market and cooked for myself. When it rained, I put a warm towel over my calves. And some nights, for no reason at all, I thought about the baby I never got to meet.It still hurt.But afterward, I would open the window and let in some fresh air.Some wounds don't heal.Life goes on anyway.Every year after I left, Adrian emailed me on the anniversary of the miscarriage.The first year, h
The Funeral That Ended Us 9
Later, he sold the condo.It sat on the market for months. After paying off the mortgage, he wired me what was left with a note."Down payment, renovation, interest."I sent the money straight back.My note was two words."Not needed."Adrian looked at the refund record and sat there all night.Money had never been what I wanted from him.It was drizzling the day Helen came with me to see my new condo.It was small. I could barely turn around in the kitchen without hitting a cabinet, and the balcony had room for maybe two flowerpots.Still, I looked at the papers for a long time before I signed.On the line marked "Owner" was my name, plain and clear.Evelyn Whitmore.I had once sold my grandmother's cottage to buy a home I eventually got locked out of.This place was small.But I was the only one who knew the door code.The next winter, Mom really did get sick.Grant emailed me. The doctors had found a heart problem, and she needed surgery.He didn't ask me to come back. He only wrote
The Funeral That Ended Us 8
The next day, Adrian actually showed up.When I left the project site, he was standing at the curb, much thinner than before. His coat hung loosely from his shoulders, and dark stubble covered his jaw."Evelyn."I stopped. I didn't hide from him, and I didn't cry."Are you doing okay?""I'm fine."Something in his eyes dimmed at my answer."I've been looking for you for three months. I'm sorting out the condo. I'll pay you back. Nina has moved out. Your family knew they were wrong."There was still frosting on my cuff from Helen's nephew. Adrian automatically reached into his pocket.He used to carry tissues everywhere. I was a messy eater, and he'd always complain while wiping my hands or clothes before I could do it myself.This time, his hand froze halfway. Then he slowly lowered it."If the baby were still here..."His voice shook."We'd be able to feel him move by now."I looked up at him."Adrian, don't use our baby as an excuse to get close to me."He stumbled half a step back.
The Funeral That Ended Us 7
Nina kept going."Didn't you stay with her for eight years because you couldn't let go of her? Did I come up with this whole plan on my own? Sure, I edited the video. But you never told anyone the truth."A vein bulged at Adrian's temple."Shut up."Nina laughed, tears still streaming down her face."Don't forget, Adrian. You said it yourself that day in the car. You said she grew up with no one loving her, so all you had to do was be nice to her once in a while and she'd never leave you."Adrian said nothing.Nina went on through her tears."When she left the group chat, didn't you look relieved? You said she was finally behaving."He remembered standing outside the hotel that day with breakfast in his hand.When Evelyn left the group chat, he had been relieved. He'd even rubbed Evelyn's head and said, "That's my girl."He'd thought he'd finally gotten Evelyn under control.He didn't know that was the last time Evelyn would ever give in.He raised the cup as if to smash it against the
The Funeral That Ended Us 6
The video was 27 seconds long.Nina stood in the bedroom doorway with his phone.Carol had just called him into another room.Nina watched the phone ring. She waited until the call was about to end before answering.The nurse's voice came through the speaker."Hello, is this Evelyn Whitmore's family? The patient is bleeding heavily. We need a family member here as soon as..."Nina cut her off."Adrian is taking care of someone else. Stop bothering him."The nurse's voice rose. "This is an emergency."Nina was quiet for a few seconds. When she spoke again, she sounded close to tears."Is she using her health to scare people again? Tell her Adrian isn't coming."Several messages followed the video."I'm Morgan Reed, the building manager who let in the oxygen delivery technician for Mrs. Whitmore that day."The younger Ms. Whitmore seemed upset, so Mrs. Whitmore asked me to keep my phone recording in case something happened."I didn't expect to film any of this."I wasn't going to get inv
The Funeral That Ended Us 5
The first voice message was from Adrian.When I played it, his voice was hoarse."Evelyn, the hospital said you had surgery."There were two seconds of silence. Then he asked, "Where's the baby?"I didn't reply.The arrivals hall was crowded, filled with voices speaking a language I didn't understand.No one there knew I had just held a funeral for a woman who was still alive.No one knew I had just lost my baby.Helen, the project lead, was waiting for me.Her smile faltered the moment she saw me."You look awful. What happened?""I didn't sleep on the flight."She didn't ask anything else. She just draped her coat over my shoulders."Let's get you to the apartment. Your room is ready. You don't have to worry about anything right now."My eyes burned.The apartment was small. Helen set the keys on the table."Rest for a few days. Come in when you're feeling better."After the door closed, I sat on the edge of the bed for a long time.My phone kept buzzing.Adrian, Mom, Dad, Grant, Nin
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