CHAPTER 89

Celina

I arrive at the nursing home an hour later. It’s a large white building that looks exactly like what it is: A place to die. I wipe my eyes again. Having a driver has its benefits, though sitting in the back of the car and thinking about all the overwhelming details is not one of them. On the only positive side I can come up with, having a driver most likely saved me from crashing my car.

I left Kiley with Gabriella and Alex and I can’t think about it right now. My mother is sitting beside my father when I enter the room. Her hand is resting on his pale, lifeless one. She glances over her shoulder and sees me. That’s when she leans into my father and begins sobbing on his chest. I walk over and put my hand on her back.

I inhale deeply because even in this place, the smell of sugar cookies rolls off her and brings me home. She feels so frail. When did that happen and why didn’t I notice?

The man lying in the bed with his slack, frozen features is not my father. He’s been gone