I drop into my chair, shaking from the encounter. I really can’t believe the moxie of that woman, showing up here, despite my threats and warnings. She underestimates me. They all do.

A hand on my shoulder startles me. It’s Sam. “I’m sorry for your loss, Mrs. H.” He must have heard the whole argument with stupid Elizabeth.

My driver is my only friend, it seems. “Thank you. Nice of you to be here.”

He nods and walks away.

“Mrs. Harris.” I turn and look up. Standing in front of me is Brad, Mary’s high school boyfriend. A nice boy. A local guy. Captain of the football team, and went on to one of the state schools. Long Beach, maybe? Mary broke up with him before they headed off to college. I don’t know if they saw each other after the night Mary wore my red dress. That night was the second-to-last night of her life.

I just never imagined he would be her last boyfriend. I thought he was just a start, as unimportant as a bicycle once you buy your first car.

“It’s good to see you.” I try to stand, falter, and Brad steadies me. I need to move away from the front row. I’m too close to the water, too close to Dr. E., as her patients call her. “Could we go over there? Do you mind?”

“Of course.” Brad slips his arm through mine and escorts me to the back of the ceremony setup, behind all of the chairs and far away from the bar where everyone is gathered. We sit next to each other on one of the green benches at the edge of the sand. It is nice to have grass beneath my feet. I’m still fuming from the Elizabeth encounter, among other things. I wonder what time it is. I wonder when I can get away from here.

Brad clears his throat. “I miss her every day. It’s just so hard. That’s why I’ve gone away. I can’t be here, in The Cove, without Mary.”

Sweet boy. “I know. It is so hard.” I pull off my sunglasses. It’s almost dark out now. Laughter floats our way from the cluster of mourners by the stand-up bar nestled in the sand. David is holding court, with his parents and Kylie, his “assistant.” He has a rapt audience, that husband of mine.