"No," I say again with a weak laugh. "Apparently that's my default answer now."
His voice softens instantly.
"How's Zane?"
"Annoying. Which means he's alive and well."
A quiet chuckle leaves him.
"Good."
I lean against the balcony railing, staring out at the gray sky.
"We fixed the funeral date," I say quietly after a moment.
Lucas goes silent for a second.
"When?"
I tell him the date softly.
"That soon?"
"I don't think dragging it out will help."
"No," he agrees quietly. "Probably not."l
I close my eyes briefly.
"She didn't deserve this."
"No," Lucas says firmly. "She didn't."
The ache in my chest returns instantly.
God.
Margaret really is gone, even saying it in my head still feels unreal somehow.
Lucas must hear the shift in my breathing because his voice becomes gentler.
"Hey."
I swallow hard.
"I keep expecting her to walk into the kitchen yelling at somebody."
He exhales quietly.
"I know."
