“But sometimes she goes too far.”

Izzy nodded. “Especially when she feels vulnerable.”

I put my mug down on the table. “And she feels very vulnerable right now.”

“But not just about Constance,” Izzy said, reaching for my hand. “You know how much Nora loves you. You know how much we both love you.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t meet her gaze.

“No matter how hard you to try to hide it, we know you’re in pain. My way has always been to be patient, hoping one day you’ll open up to us, so we can help you through it.”

I bristled but kept my mouth shut. There was no getting through losing my husband.

“But when it comes to your aunt. It is killing her that she’s not able to fix you.”

“She can’t fix me.”

“I know. I know. It’s the wrong word.” She looked away. “You should have seen her back when Gideon first retreated to the attic. I thought they might kill each other. It was only when your uncle threatened to leave and hole himself up somewhere we couldn’t find him that Nora finally backed off. To be honest, we’re both a little scared you’re doing something similar. Hiding away from life, so it can’t hurt you. And we don’t know how to stop it.”

I didn’t say anything.

“Now, with all that’s happened, I think Nora is feeling a lot like that little girl again with the town against her. But it’s even more than that.” The corners of Izzy’s eyes creased with worry.

“I’m not following.”

Izzy picked at the edge of the table. “It’s just, I think Nora has always feared one day she might end up like Constance. Not murdered, obviously. But alone.”

“What? That’s ridiculous.”

“I know that. And you know that. But Constance was guarded, abrasive. She drove everyone away. And I think Nora fears one day she might do the same thing.”

“That could never happen. Constance was in a class all her own. Yes, Nora has her moments, but I wouldn’t call her abrasive.”

Suddenly the closet door banged again upstairs. It was quickly followed by Nora shouting, “Constance! Murdered or not, I swear to every power in this plane of existence, I will shatter your soul into a million tiny pieces, scatter them across the universe, then set each and every one of them on fire for a thousand years if you so much as touch that closet one more time!”

I looked at Izzy. “She can’t do that, can she? That’s not like a thing, right?”

“No. No. No,” Izzy said, chuckling and shaking her head. She then stopped suddenly, as though a thought had occurred to her. A second later she chuckled again. “No.” She finished with a nod as though she had finally convinced herself.

“Good,” I said with my own nod. “What were we talking about again?”

“We were saying Nora really isn’t that difficult. Soul-shattering threats aside.”

“Of course.”

“And your aunt is right about one thing,” Izzy said, tapping the table lightly with her finger.