EIGHTY-SIX

Sammy’s Last Wishes

Hayden found himself in Tessa’s funeral first. Rocky had driven him to Chicago, promising that it was easier to deal with Tessa first and then Samantha later. The funeral was just rounding up when they arrived. It was 5pm and the guests had begun to leave. Hayden stayed in the car, peering out of the window. There were at least 30 people present, all murmuring about how she was a good kid who just needed help.

“Do you want to go closer?” Rocky asked from the driver’s seat.

“No.” Hayden replied. “They’re so loud, I can hear them from here.”

It wasn’t hard to identify Tessa’s parents. The mother wore a huge fancy fascinator and was weeping theatrically at the side. The father was receiving handshakes and sealed envelopes. They had five other little kids with them who just won’t stay put. Tessa’s grave was situated in the state’s mass graveyard, right beside hundreds of other graves. There were fresh flowers on hers, but none of them looked thoughtful enough. It f