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Ethel looked out the front picture window and Jenna was thankful for the privacy this look away gave her. She wiped her eyes and swallowed. “I don’t know what I can do but let me know if I can help. Anything at all. Okay?”
“Thank you. It’s really nice to know that you’re here.” Jenna squeezed Ethel’s shoulder and stood. “I need to head back.”
As they walked out, Jenna ducked into the TV room to say goodbye to Bob.
“Hello there, Jenna!” he boomed. “Stocks are on the rise!”
“Good to see you again, Mr. Taylor.”
“Don’t let me catch you breaking curfew again,” he said, pointing a stern finger at her. “I’ll have to have a conversation with your father.”
“Yes, dear,” Ethel said, giving Jenna a nudge toward the door. “She’ll work on that. Thank you.”
On the porch, Ethel grabbed her in a hug that felt tight and desperate. Jenna’s eyes grew hot with tears. She missed her mother. Jenna gave Ethel another squeeze, then pulled back and wiped her eyes. Ethel and her mother had been close friends, maybe best friends. It was too easy to think about what loss meant to you and forget how much it impacted other people.
“Thank you,” Jenna said, touching Ethel on the arm. “For watching over the house, for just…everything.”
Ethel’s eyes brimmed, and she pressed her lips together tightly. Jenna walked away before Ethel could see her own tears, back to her mother’s house where more memories waited to weigh her down.