Juliet was crying now, silent tears, and nodding her head. ‘Yes.’

‘Your ma carried a whole world of love, joy and laughter inside of her; wherever she is, or isn’t, that will never change.’

Juliet looked at the writing on June’s grave. ‘The meditation of her heart . . .’

‘Exactly, and I don’t know if that’s acceptable to any god but it’s acceptable to me,’ Davey said. ‘How about you?’

‘More than acceptable.’

He stood up and took the crying child in his arms.

‘It’s time to stop worrying about her, Juliet.’

‘I don’t know if I can, Davey.’

‘I know. Some habits are hard to break, kiddo.’

His jacket was wet and her eyes were swollen when she pulled away but she seemed lighter, a little brighter.

Davey had no idea how worried Juliet had been about her mother’s soul. Of course she’d worry; she had grown up worrying, it was all she knew. Grace would have seen it. She’d have understood. Jesus, a whole year. I’m such an asshole. I’m letting her down. What else am I missing? While his eyes were wide open he realised something else that day as they were sitting on the back of the open truck and tucking into the picnic she’d carefully prepared with all his favourites. It was after she’d reminded him of his appointment with his barber and he asked her about his dry cleaning that it dawned on him – somehow over the past year he’d allowed her to slip into the role of caring for him, though obviously not in the same way as she’d cared for her mother. He didn’t require bathing, lifting and washing, but when they weren’t on the road, she ran the house, she cooked, she kept his schedules on the fridge, she woke him when he overslept, she made sure he ate – lots of little things that added up to her taking care of him when he was supposed to be taking care of her. What the fuck is wrong with me? What else am I missing? How many times a day am I failing her? Failing Rabbit?

But they were home now, with time for respite, and because of his best friends’ efforts Juliet would glimpse her mother’s past, when they were young and she had so much to live for. Davey and the boys were taking her back to a time when fear and failure wasn’t an option. Thanks, boys, he smiled to himself, and then he thought about seeing Marjorie.

Chapter Forty-Two: Marjorie

Chapter Forty-Two

Marjorie