For some reason, that’s when it hit me.
Ihadseen this girl before. And Vinh too. Or the back of their heads, at least, at Gil’s funeral.
“Vinh,” he said, confirming my suspicion.
“Ireland,” I said back.
That was the extent of our conversation.
Vinh whispered something in Bree’s ear and then left, and she watched him go with a look I was all too familiar with.
Equal parts disbelief and longing.
“I suppose it would be too much to ask for a group hug from the three of you?” Liem asked, swaying along to the music where he stood.
I met Liem’s dark, exceedingly kind eyes for a long moment, then opened my arms.
Why the hell not.
I barely had time to breathe before he was squeezing me with all he had, and suddenly, Bree and Delly were there, too, squishing me between all of them.
After weeks of living with Adair, the word slipped out of my mouth easily. “Lordy.”
Delly giggled, and as we pulled away, her eyes twinkled.
I glanced at Liem, whose eyes were always twinkling.
And then Bree’s, and yep. Bright and shining.
Then Miss Lenny spun on the edge of the dance floor near us, her sequins catching the light and temporarily blinding me.
What was with all these sparkly people finding me?
Delly squeezed my hand. “I’m going to go upstairs and check on my brother and the guys. You good?”
I nodded, and once she left, I scanned the sea of satin,hairspray, and mixed colognes and perfume. The giggles of children mixed with the music as generations of people intermingled. Old, young, and everything in between. My heart jumped in excitement as Melvin Hammond walked in, and I headed toward him. He made it through the thickest part of the crowd, and my steps faltered as my gaze drifted down to Genelle.
She was in a wheelchair with a blanket draped over her lap and a nasal cannula over her ears and under her nose.
I pinched the fabric of my dress hard, working it into a wrinkle. She hadn’t been on oxygen the last time I’d visited her just a few days ago. And after finding out that Wilbur’s wife’s name was Nell, my soft spot for the woman had grown more into a crater.
They didn’t see me, but Genelle spotted the dance floor and lit up, pointing at it before clasping her hands together and smiling up at Melvin. He squeezed her shoulder and leaned down to whisper something in her ear.
Whatever will be, will be
I’d watched the video of their dance probably a hundred times since that day.
My hand stilled its fiddling with my dress as I watched them. Something about that moment, about her unbridled happiness despite whatever had happened with her health, brought me peace.
The music subtly faded, and a hush of anticipation filled the room. Liem and Vinh escorted Ari to the podium we’d set up on the far side of the room, complete with a lectern and microphone. She kissed them each sweetly on the cheek, and Liem shared soft words with her before he and his brother retreated a few steps to the nearest wall.
“Welcome, everyone,” Ari said into the microphone, “to the Live Oak Summer Gala.”
Polite applause followed, and she smiled graciously,bowing her head. She thanked everyone for their contributions, naming all the local companies and individuals who had made significant donations. Then she mentioned all the volunteers, Cole, Delly, and Adair included, before she briefly explained the details of the greenhouse, the accessibility features it would have, and what they hoped to grow.
But it was during those pauses, within those times she held herself back and took deep, measured breaths, that I heard what went unspoken.
Her grief.
