“No. Claire and I were there.”
Noah nodded once.
I realized Mr. Vance had known more people than I thought.
“Okay.”
Aaron looked almost confused by his reaction.
Then Noah said, “When’s the funeral?”
We went three days later.
The church was crowded enough that I realized Mr. Vance had known more people than I thought.
Aaron and his sister, Claire, sat in front.
When the service ended, everyone stood.
Both of them cried through most of the service.
Noah insisted on sitting in the last row.
“This is family stuff,” he whispered.
“You mattered to him too.”
“Not like they did.”
When the service ended, everyone stood.
The man held out a thick envelope.
Aaron was hugging someone near the front when a man in a gray suit walked down the aisle toward us.
He stopped directly in front of Noah.
“Are you Noah?”
Noah glanced at me.
