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“You don’t have to do that.”

He kissed the top of my head. “I want to. This is going to be a tough week for you.”

I leaned against his chest, suddenly exhausted.

“You haven’t eaten anything in more than twenty-four hours,” he said. “Do you want me to make you something?”

I shook my head. “I’m too tired to even chew. I think I’m going to take a quick shower though.”

“Okay. While you do that, I’ll make you some soup.” He winked at me. “There’s no chewing involved.”

I took a long, steaming-hot shower and slipped into a furry bathrobe. My face was puffy from all the crying, and I left my hair wrapped in the towel because I was too lazy to brush it. Basically, I looked like hell, but didn’t have the energy to care.

In the kitchen, Will had set two bowls of steaming soup on the table. He pulled out a chair for me as I padded into the room.

“I found chicken noodle and tomato soup. I figured the tomato soup involved less chewing, but seeing that it expired a year and a half ago, I thought you’d be better off with a few noodles.”

I smiled and sat down. “Thank you.”

“Oh, and I almost forgot…” He turned around and grabbed something from the counter. “You also had this hidden behind the cans.” Will placed a shot glass filled with M&Ms on the table. “Do you hide candy for emergencies or something?”

My heart felt heavy. Yet again, Declan had found a way to remind me of him—not that my thoughts were ever too far away.

“I guess I just forgot I put them there,” I said.

After we ate our soup, I couldn’t wait to curl up in a ball in my bed. Will climbed in behind me and snuggled for a while, but eventually he had to leave for the hospital. He must’ve thought I was sleeping as he ever so carefully slipped out from the room. Rather than let him know I wasn’t, I kept my eyes closed and stayed quiet.

I hadn’t slept in more than a day and a half; I was physically and emotionally exhausted, yet I couldn’t fall asleep. I kept thinking about how much time I’d wasted, how many years I’d kept my distance from my father—and now he was gone. It was a real reminder that life moved fast, and it was so important to spend as much time as possible with the people you loved. I couldn’t go back, but I could make that a priority in the future.

CHAPTER 28

* * *

Molly

My father knew a heck of a lot of people.

Three days later, my sister Lauren had arrived from London, and we sat in the front row of the funeral parlor as what seemed like an endless stream of people stopped by to offer their condolences for the second day in a row. I was pretty sure anyone who happened to have a heart attack this afternoon might be shit out of luck, because every doctor and nurse in the county was at the wake. My dad and I had worked at two different hospitals, and the turnout was bigger than I’d anticipated. Even my mom came, which made me happy.

The wake started from two to four in the afternoon, followed by a three-hour break, and then another session from seven to nine in the evening. In between, Kayla had arranged for us to have dinner in a private room at a nearby Italian restaurant. Since my dad was an only child, and both of his parents were already deceased, most of the family there was Kayla’s. Again, Will stayed by my side the entire time.

“How you holding up?” He leaned over after we finished eating and kissed my temple.

“I’m good. But I can’t believe I have to go through this again tonight.”

Thankfully, this evening was the last of the sessions. Tomorrow would be the funeral.

“I’m sorry I can’t stay,” he said. “I’ll be there all day tomorrow with you, though.”

“Don’t be silly. First of all, you have been here for me every step of the way. I’m not even sure when the last time you slept was. And you definitely don’t need to apologize for having to work tonight. You don’t need to come back and babysit me tomorrow. You’ve done enough, Will.”

Will weaved his fingers with mine and brought my hand to his lips. “I just want to be here for you.”

I cupped his cheek. “You have been, and I really appreciate it. Thank you, Will.”

The evening session of the wake was much of the same. I’d never met half the people who came up to talk with me, and that was a constant reminder of how long I’d kept my life separate from my father’s. At one point, I stood between my sister Lauren and my dad’s wife. I looked toward Kayla to introduce her to a nurse who had worked for our dad when we were little, and when I turned back, instead of yet another healthcare worker, I found my sister shaking hands with a man.