“Betty will have a copy of the will for each of you as you leave. I’m suggesting, in honor of your mother’s last wishes, that you maintain a sense of decorum, at least in public,” Peanut said.

“Yes, yes, we wouldn’t have it any other way,” Emma said.

“And if that’s all for us here, the funeral home is expecting us. We need to give them the okay before they put Mama in a viewing room.”

“You don’t need my opinion about that, and I need to get to work,” Hunt said. “If anybody needs to talk to me, you know where I am.”

He stood up, shook hands with Peanut, patted Birdie on the shoulder, and walked past the others as if they weren’t there.

Hunt was already gone by the time they got outside, and then Ray brought up the money.

“By the time they get through paying Hunt, there likely won’t be much for any of us divided up five ways,” he said.

“They’re not giving Hunt anything. He’s being paid back money already owed. There’s a great big difference,” Birdie snapped. “I don’t know who stole it, and I don’t know why the whole lot of you decided to protect a thief at the expense of your own brother, but whatever’s happening now is karma for what you already did to him. Now let’s get the funeral home business over with. I seem to be the only one of us who has a job to go to.”

She got in her car and drove away, leaving them in shock.

“I got a job,” Ray muttered.

“Whenever your boss says come to work, you do,” Junior said.

“Junior! You have no room to criticize anyone,” Emma said.

“I don’t believe we’re practicing decorum here,” Junior said. “Ray, get in the car.”

They headed for the funeral home, with Emma driving behind them. The trip across town was brief. They walked in together and were soon escorted into the back parlor.

They approached the pale-blue casket with trepidation, as if Marjorie was going to suddenly sit up and chastise them for the mess their lives were in.

“I was dreading this, but she looks peaceful,” Junior said.

Ray was crying. “It don’t seem right that she’s gone.”

Birdie’s voice was trembling. As the baby, it hadn’t been all that long ago when she was still living with their mother.

“Everybody dies,” she said. “Mama was worn out with her sickness. I’m gonna miss her like crazy, but I wouldn’t have her back still sick and suffering.”

Emma slid her arm around her sister’s waist.

“She looks pretty, doesn’t she, Birdie?”

Birdie sighed. “That pale-blue dress was her favorite. I’m glad we chose it.” Then she looked up at the funeral director. “She looks beautiful. Thank you.”