Page 6 of Small Town Sizzle

“Megan would have laughed so hard at that,” Mom interjects.

It slips out so naturally, I don’t think she even realizes she’s said it until the words are hanging there, sucking all the air out of the room.

“She used to love it when we made brunch like this,” she continues.

The table goes quiet. Jazlyn looks confused, glancing between us like she’s missed a joke. Alex clears his throat, his eyes dropping to his plate.

Dad puts a hand on Mom’s shoulder, squeezing gently, but the sadness in her eyes is already spreading like a shadow across the room.

“Do you remember when Megan tried to make French toast by herself and burned five slices in a row?”

Mom blinks, her lips twitching into the faintest smile. “She was so mad at herself but refused to give up. She made an entire loaf of toast before she got it right.”

“And then she made us eat it!” Dad chimes in, his laugh breaking the tension.

“It was so burnt, even the dog wouldn’t touch it,” I add, and Jazlyn giggles, even though she doesn’t know the story.

We go back to the lighthearted banter, but I can still feel the weight of my sister’s presence in the room. It’s almost suffocating.

Later, I help Mom clear the table, rinsing plates while she packs leftovers into containers for us to take home.

“You don’t have to do that,” I say.

“It’s no trouble,” she replies dismissively.

She’s quiet for a moment, her hands stilling as she stares out the kitchen window. “I wish she could see Alex grow up,” she says softly.

I don’t know what to say to that.

“Greta McAllister’s funeral is the day after tomorrow. Will you make sure to stop to pay your respects?” Mom asks a little while later when we’re leaving the house.

“Yeah, it’s on my calendar to do so. I even asked another social worker to cover the county, but you know that my job doesn’t always allow me to make plans.”

“Do your best, okay? She was a good friend to me.”

“Mom, she was incredibly important to me, too. I would be working in another town or county without her efforts to build the youth center. I owe her everything.”

“The kids need to be there, too. She did so much for the school and…”

“I asked both of them, and neither want to go.”

“Maya,” she starts. “You’rethe parent.”

I gesture for her to stop before I look out at the SUV, where Alex and Jazlyn are already waiting for me.

“I’m not going to get into an argument with you about this. I’m not going to force them to do this, especially when we buried Meg barely a year ago. I get your well-meaning intentions, but no.”

I turn on my heel and walk away before she can argue.

I’m exhausted.

Chapter Two

Garrett

There’s a piercing ringing in my ears and a sharp pain ripping through my head. I’m squinting as I drive and can barely focus on anything.

Hitting my head earlier really did a number on me. I’ve been so careful not to reinjure myself, but there wasn’t any way around this. That giant furball really knocked me good.