Junior ate two Pop-Tarts and drank a cup of coffee before getting ready. The silence of his house was never more obvious than it was this morning. Now that his mother was gone, he didn’t have anyone in his life who cared about his welfare. He wanted to find a way to change, but he didn’t know how. Every dream he’d had as a kid died when the secret became more important than the people who kept it.

By the time he was leaving for the church, he’d worked himself up into a bundle of nerves. They were going to spend the whole freaking day with Hunt. He didn’t think Hunt would make any kind of scene, but the guilt alone was enough to make his brother’s presence uncomfortable.

* * *

Ray and Susie were walking out the door to go to the funeral at the same time that Ava was on the job in the ER, cleaning an open wound on a teenager’s head. The ER doctor was standing by, ready to glue it shut. Life didn’t stop for one family just so another family could lay a loved one to rest.

Even though that ceremony was a vital end to the circle of one life, the lives of others still went on.

* * *

The siblings arrived at the church one by one and were escorted into a classroom near the sanctuary to wait until it was time for the service to begin.

Emma and Gordon were the first to arrive, but Junior was right behind them. Ray and Susie came in arm in arm, then hugged the others, making small talk without knowing what to say.

Mama had been present when they’d buried their daddy, but now they were the adults in charge and this felt awkward and wrong.

Birdie came in wearing blue in honor of her mother’s favorite color, but her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen.

It broke Emma’s heart to see her little sister so sad, and she went straight to her.

“I’m sorry, Birdie. This is sad for all of us.”

Birdie nodded. There wasn’t anything to say.

And then Hunt walked in, and before anyone could stiffen up or turn away, Birdie went straight into his arms and laid her cheek against his chest.

Hunt wrapped his arms around her.

“We can do this, kid. We can do anything for Mom, right?”

Birdie nodded. “Yes. We owe her everything. She kept a roof over our heads and loved us all so much, despite our flaws. We can do this for her, and do it right.”

Hunt looked over Birdie’s head to the others. They met his gaze briefly, then looked away. He felt a moment of sadness for the shit storm that was their lives, and then let it go. They had created their own reality.