After a few beats of silence, I release him from my hug, a smile of appreciation hanging on my lips and then ask shyly, “Did he arrive already?”
“Who?”
I cock my head to the side, raising an eyebrow. “You know who.”
His expression gives nothing away though, and he takes a morbid second to answer me. “I haven’t seen him, no, but he told me he’d come.” His words freeze me on the spot and I can’t help but draw out a breath in disappointment. “Give him some time. I’m sure the fact it’s all over the news is not helping.”
“And the Bradfords?”
“They are at the terrace, talking to some guests.” Oh, somehow I kinda knew they would be the first to arrive.
“And my in-laws?” I ask him. After all, they haven’t said a word since they landed in Teterboro.
“They should be here any time,” Dad says. “Look, whatever is going on between you and Alex, just be polite with them. They don’t need to know the ins-and-outs of your relationship.”
“Of course.” I wonder if Alex told him the reason why he hasn’t been talking to me. Even though they are friends, he’s still my dad, so I’m pretty sure he’d tell me the truth. “Did Alex tell you why he’s been so distant lately?”
“No, he didn’t,” Dad answers and he seems rather honest. “I asked him about it, but he didn’t tell me anything. But I think it’s because you helped Eric get him arrested.”
I nod, looking away for a moment. My mind starts wandering to a place where I don’t have to bury my mom, where I don’t have to cooperate with the Bradfords, and where my husband isn’t trying to avoid me.
“Well, it’s time. Shall we?” Dad asks, halting me from my alternative reality. I nod, draping an arm around his as we make our way out of Alex’s office. He gives me a squeeze of encouragement and I sigh.
As we arrive at the terrace, which is now covered with glass walls and a roof, I realize what an amazing job Emma did in transforming this place from an outdoor space to a classic and minimalist memorial setup. At the entrance, we find a beautiful framed board with a photograph of Mom saying, Celebrating the Life of Tess Hagen, 1967-2021. Stepping inside, I notice a fairy garland of lights hanging from the ceiling. The room is decorated in beige and white tones, with matching candles, tablecloths, and flowers. A podium with a microphone stands in front of two rows of white chairs which stretch the length of the terrace. Behind the podium, and against one of the glass walls, lies a long memorial table filled with framed photos of Mom. It’s intimate, simple, yet elegant, and I wonder if this small memorial service will disappoint the reporters that are standing behind the last row of chairs with their cameramen as they take some footage of the place. Looking at my right, I notice her coffin has been left semi-open, allowing only her face to be seen. I gather some strength and walk forward to see her closed eyes one last time. Dad escorts me, which surprises me since he has never had the stomach to see dead corpses in movies, yet in real life it doesn’t seem to bother him. We stand still in front of Mom’s coffin, and a small smile plays on my lips seeing her expression just as serene and peaceful as the last time I’d seen her at the morgue. Despite the makeup, her face is pale, but her hair is impeccable just as she likes. My eyes travel up to my dad’s face, and not surprisingly, he’s stoic and emotionless. I wonder if seeing his ex-wife lying in a coffin has any impact on him, but with such a poker-face, it’s hard to tell.
“It’s weird, huh?” I say quietly as we stand beside each other. “One day she’s making our lives miserable and the next she’s peacefully asleep.”
Dad takes a deep breath in and out, nodding pensively at me. “Indeed…”
Then I give a quick glance around, making sure Matt and Eric aren’t listening, and lowering my voice, I ask, “Do you think it was him?”
His lips twitch to one side as he considers my question. “I don’t know. Your mom had many enemies.”
“You weren’t aware of anything at all?” I keep inquiring, slightly surprised. “Not even that she was abducted and kept captive for three months?”
His expression finally switches and I can see the astonishment in his gaze as I share such details. “No, I didn’t know about it.” He pauses, looking downwards for a while, before his attention goes back to Mom’s face. “I have always been firmly against doing anything to her.”
His eyes remain pinned on her as he says those words and it seems Dad truly means it, which might explain why Alex and his family kept him in the dark about any of it.
I feel someone poking me on the back and after turning to check who’s doing it, I’m a bit taken aback to see Matt, and to my surprise, dressed in a suit.
“Hey,” he greets with his usual bright smile. His hair however remains as messy as usual.
“Oh, wow, Matt in a suit,” I tease, checking him out from top to bottom. “You look great.” Then I plunge him in a quick hug as we always do.
“You look great too in this black dress.” His face gets slightly more serious and lowering his voice, he asks, “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay, and you?” I answer for the sake of politeness. After all, what am I gonna tell him? That Alex hasn’t talked to me since he got arrested? That he hasn’t come back home either? What for? Matt doesn’t like him and he’d be the first one to remind me how wrong I was for marrying him.
“Do you know when your in-laws are coming?” His question makes me frown, but then I recall his dad wants to talk to them about the nanoparticles found in Mom’s bloodstream.
Right before I can answer him, my gaze goes over Matt’s shoulder, to the group that enters the terrace. And as they do so, all eyes set on them; it’s not hard for Margaret, Julia, and Yara to draw attention to themselves. After all, they carry such an enigmatic energy that one always wonder what they are up to. All three are dressed in long black overcoats, their posture just as straight as usual, and their faces grave and serious. I lean over to Matt and say, “Speaking of the devils.” Sebastian and Elliot enter afterward, but I don’t see Maud with them.
Matt discreetly turns to check them out for a second. Then he simply stands beside me, so he can have a direct view. “Who is who?” he asks, his voice barely audible.
“The older lady is Margaret, Alex’s mom,” I tell him, while Dad is already on his way to greet them. “The one dressed with equestrian boots is Yara, his youngest sister.” At least, she had the decency to bring black breeches. “And the blond one is Julia, the oldest sister.”
“Where’s the scientist one?” Matt asks just as fast.
“I don’t know,” I say, finding it quite strange because Maud told me she’d come. Then I see Eric heading inside alongside a man I don’t recognize. “Who’s the man with your dad?” The stranger is in business attire, carrying a briefcase with him.
Matt shakes his head, his face just as curious as mine. “I have no idea.”
Then I see my dad introducing Father Thomas to Margaret and her family. To my surprise, the man who was with Eric leaves him and walks toward them. He reaches Margaret, leans in, and whispers something in her ear. Margaret nods in return, giving him a quick pat on the back. Something tells me he works for her, but I don’t know what kind of work.