Page 8 of The Facilitator: Part 3
“At first, she fell apart. Now, she’s being remarkably strong for her mom. How are Dominic and Gabriella?” I asked.
“They’re doing great. That’s when we can actually get hold of our child. His grandmother appears to have kidnapped him,” he said, and I could hear a tinkle of laughter in the background.
“Pass on my love, won’t you?”
“Will do. I’ll call in a couple of days. We have some business we need to discuss. Nothing that won’t wait, so don’t fret.”
Alex had been running my operations in the US for a little while. He had been an absolute godsend and a close friend, my best friend even. Whatever business we needed to discuss, I trusted it could wait. He’d be on top of whatever it was, for sure.
“Tell, Gabriella that I’m sure we’ll see her soon,” I said, before disconnecting the call.
Lauren placed her hand on my back and handed me a cup of coffee.
“That was Alex,” I said. She smiled and nodded. “He asked how you were coping.”
“He’s a wonderful man, I spoke to Gabriella this morning and I think they’re struggling a little staying with her mum.”
“I got that impression as well. I’m sure they appreciate the help but they must want some alone time now.”
“I need to get back in. Mum is cooking as if there are thousands coming back here tomorrow.”
“Do you know how many?”
“It’s no more than a handful, really. Seb lost all his friends over the years,” she said with sadness. “There are some neighbors, us, Mum, and Reenie, that’s it, I think.”
It seemed a pitiful amount of mourners and I felt for Elaine. I was sure she would have loved to see some of his old friends. However, it was likely to be hypocritical of them to turn up having discarded him for years.
I held Lauren in my arms that night, she was unsettled and nervous she’d said. Neither of us got much sleep in the small double bed.
“Life is so precious,” she whispered. She hadn’t spoken for hours and I thought she might be sleep talking. I looked down at her open eyes.
“It is,” I replied.
“Mackenzie, this is the most inappropriate time but I want to make a new list. I want you to as well.”
“A new list?” I asked not quite following.
“Yeah, a new list. I want to do all the things, go all the places, and experience as much as I can,” she said.
I nodded. “Okay, a new list.”
She settled back against me and closed her eyes.
In the morning, I wasn’t sure if she’d remember what she said and I didn’t bring it up. It was a somber day, more so when the hearse and limousine pulled up outside the bungalow.
The two displays of flowers that were at either side of his coffin, Son and Brother, gave a clue as to its occupant.
Elaine, her best friend, Reenie, Lauren, and I climbed in to the limousine. We followed the hearse tothe local cemetery. I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of people waiting, although one caused Lauren to take a sharp breath in.
“What the…?” she whispered. I followed her gaze. Scott stood alone by the doors.
“I guess he knew your brother,” I said, and she sighed.
“Yeah, they got on, but still. After all he did to me, I think he has a cheek,” she said quietly.
“Just ignore him. If he upsets you, I’ll deal with him,” I said and she nodded.
Thankfully, Scott kept his distance. He sat at the back of the room and he filed past quickly, not stopping to offer his condolences to us.
