“Yes, but I stayed close to the back. I saw you and Flynn from a distance, but I didn’t know if you were April or you, or if Flynn was the grandson or your boyfriend,” Jackson answered. “Why didn’t you come around more often? Too far to drive?”

“It’s hard to explain. I loved coming here, liked the peace I felt in the place, but the older I got . . .”—she paused and tried to think of the right words—“it seemed like I was interrupting Nanny Lucy’s lifestyle. An afternoon with me around appeared to wear her out, or even annoy her. We would talk about her quilts, my job, and then she’d begin to look at the clock every five minutes.”

She made a mental note to ask Flynn and April if they’d had the same feeling when they came to visit.

“She was a very private person.” Jackson nodded. “We had Sunday dinner with her pretty often, and then a game of checkers or dominoes, but by midafternoon I got the feeling she was ready for us to leave.”

“Maybe she was afraid she would forget and say something that would reveal her past,” Nessa said. “I feel guilty that I didn’t come more often than I did. Being here was strange. There was peace, but it was sprinkled with angst, if that makes a bit of sense. Nanny Lucy took that uneasy feeling to her grave with her, and that makes me feel guilty, because it’s like I got the peace I wanted at her expense.”

“I understand.” Jackson nodded.

“Thanks for listening,” Nessa said as she opened the truck door and got out. “See you in a little while?”

“Uncle D. J. is over on the other side of the cemetery. Fifteen minutes long enough for you?” Jackson asked.

“For tonight.” She waited for him to drive away before she sat down in front of the stone. Most folks who were buried beside their spouses had one tombstone with both their names on it. Sometimes the stone even had their wedding date etched into the middle of the stone and their children’s names on the back side. Not so with Nanny Lucy and her husband. They were buried side by side, but they had separate tombstones, and now Nessa understood why.

“I know why you didn’t want to share a stone with him, Nanny Lucy. He promised to love and respect you when y’all got married, and we all know how that turned out now.” She pulled a few weeds from around the stone. “I’ll bring fresh flowers for the vase next time. I need to talk to you, but I don’t even know where to start. I cleaned out the hall closet today. We know your secrets, Nanny Lucy. You can rest in peace.” She swiped a single tear from her eye with the back of her hand.