Chapter 201
Effie Bagnold and Lyman Etheridge picked up her grandmother and the nurse from the hospital, then headed together to the cemetery.
When they arrived, there was already a bouquet of lilies-her mother’s favorite- placed in front of the grave.
Her grandmother gazed at the flowers, a wistful sigh escaping her lips. “That person… always gets here before we do.”
Effie nodded. “Yeah.”
They’d missed them again.
Every time Effie visited, there were always fresh lilies and her mother’s favorite pastries left at the headstone. She’d always been curious about who this person was, but every single time, she missed them. Today was no different.
“If you really want to know who it is, I can help you find out,” Lyman offered.
Effie shook her head. “No, it’s okay. Whoever it is always avoids us. That probably means they don’t want to meet.”
“So let’s not intrude. Maybe… if it’s meant to be, we’ll cross paths one day.”
Her grandmother nodded in agreement, clearly feeling the same way.
Lyman accepted their decision with a small nod. Since Effie and her grandmother had made up their minds, he wasn’t about to meddle.
“Lyman, come here,” Grandmother called, pulling him to the front. She looked at the smiling woman in the photograph on the headstone. “Adriana, this is your son- in-law. Effie and Lyman are married now, and they’re very happy together. You can rest easy.”
Lyman looked at Adriana Spencer’s portrait, his tone uncharacteristically serious. “Mom, I’m Lyman, Effie’s husband.”
He felt a lump in his throat, so nervous he could barely get the words out-it was worse than negotiating a multi-million dollar deal.
“I promise I’ll always take care of her,” he said solemnly.
Effie and her grandmother both had tears in their eyes.
Just then, a group of people approached.
Effie heard their footsteps and turned to see Shepard Bagnold and Vera, with Mitchell Lloyd and Suzan Bagnold following behind.
What are they doing here?
Mitchell happened to glance her way at that exact moment. When he saw Effie’s tear-stained eyes, he immediately felt a pang of guilt. For some reason, he instinctively blamed Lyman, assuming he’d made Effie cry.
Unbeknownst to him, every flicker of emotion on his face was caught by Suzan.
Suzan’s expression darkened so much it looked as if she could wring water from it; she was clenching her jaw so tightly she might’ve cracked a tooth.
Typical Mitchell-always wanting what he can’t have. He used to call Effie dull, but now that he’d lost her, suddenly she seemed perfect.
Men really are the same everywhere: the things they can’t have are always the most precious; once they do, it’s just another red stain on the bedsheet.
Still, Suzan didn’t blame Mitchell. She blamed Effie.
Effie, with her innocent act, playing the helpless little flower-wasn’t she just trying to lure men in?
Effie’s grandmother saw Shepard and her gaze turned icy. “What are you doing here?”
Shepard put on a mournful face. “Mom, today’s Adriana’s anniversary. I came to pay my respects.”
“You don’t deserve to be here!” her grandmother snapped, her voice sharp as a whip. “All you do is pollute the air around her.”
The outburst left her so upset her chest heaved with every breath.
Effie rushed to her grandmother’s side, trying to calm her down. “Enough! You’ve had it good for so long that you can’t even stay away on my mom’s birthday, huh? Need a little drama to spice things up?”
“You think showing up here makes you important?”
“Vera, you’re nothing but the other woman. If you had any decency, you’d be on your knees in front of my mom’s grave. If you can’t do that, then don’t come at all!”
“Every second you spend here is an insult to my mom. Get out!”
Vera’s eyes filled with tears, her face crumpling into a mask of wounded innocence.
She looked at Shepard, her voice trembling. “Honey, I was Adriana’s good friend. I just wanted to pay my respects. Is that so wrong?”