His absence left a gaping hole in her life. Jeff and I tried to support her as best we could, but grief has a way of isolating people. Over the months, she began withdrawing from the family.
Whenever we invited her for dinner, she gave us excuses like “I’m not feeling well,” “Oh, I have a few errands to run,” and “I just don’t feel like leaving the house today.”
“Seriously,” I said, grinning. “Maybe she’s finally ready to come out of her shell.”
“Or maybe she’s plotting something,” Jeff joked, wiggling his eyebrows. I laughed, but deep down, his words stuck with me.
Linda had always been unpredictable, and I couldn’t help but wonder what had changed her mind. When the big day arrived, the house smelled of roasted turkey, candied yams, and freshly baked pumpkin pie. Everything was going according to plan until Linda walked thContinue reading…
