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I turned, hesitant. “Yeah?”
The door opened and a woman stepped inside—talland elegant in a quiet sort of way, with wavy hair pulled into a low twist and eyes that missed nothing.
“Hallie Mae?” she asked gently.
I nodded. “Yes?”
“I’m Anna.” She smiled just enough. “Atlas’s fiancée. We haven’t met yet, but I thought you might want company this morning.”
I blinked, the unexpected kindness hitting hard. “That’s … really thoughtful. Thank you.”
She glanced at the half-zipped bag and then at me, still holding a hairbrush like it was a weapon. “Want some help?”
I hesitated. Then nodded. “Yeah. I think I do.”
Anna stepped in like she’d known me for years, calm and unhurried, the way women are when they’ve already lived through storms of their own. She helped smooth the dress over my shoulders, zipped it up in the back, and handed me tissues when the tears I’d been holding started to slip.
“You were close with your father?” she asked softly.
I nodded, swallowing hard. “He was a preacher. Soft-spoken, but strong. Always believed God could make something good out of anything.”
Anna met my eyes in the mirror. “Sounds like someone who’d be proud of the woman you’ve become.”
I couldn’t speak. Just pressed my lips together and nodded.
She picked up a silver necklace from the dresser—one I’d left out the night before—and clasped it around my neck like it was second nature. “Do you want to go alone?” she asked. “To the church?”
“No,” I said quietly. “But I don’t want to ask anyone to come. It’s not their grief.”
“I’ll come,” Anna said simply. “Not because of grief.Because of solidarity. You don’t have to go through this by yourself.”
Tears filled my eyes again, and this time I didn’t stop them.
“Thank you.”
She just touched my hand and said, “Let’s get through today. And then we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
I nodded, heart breaking all over again.
Because I didn’t know if tomorrow would bring Noah.
Or just more silence.
I reached for a tissue and dabbed at my eyes, careful not to smudge the small bit of concealer I’d managed to pat on. Anna moved quietly around the room, folding the edge of the comforter. She didn’t ask questions. She didn’t push. Just made the room feel a little less cold.
“I’m guessing Noah had people lined up to take you today,” she said after a moment, adjusting her earring in the mirror.
I looked at her reflection. “What do you mean?”
She shrugged, but there was a softness behind it. “He’s your guy. And he’s a Dane. That means he either gave strict orders for someone to go with you to the funeral, or someone’s going to follow you whether you know it or not.”
That made me smile, just a little. “But I haven’t heard anything. No calls. No texts. No word.”
Anna’s lips quirked. “That might mean the threat’s over. Or maybe they’re giving you space. Either way, you’re not unprotected. They don’t do that.”
I tried to let that comfort me. It half worked. “I can’t really figure it out today,” I admitted. “I just … feel numb.”
Anna came over and helped me with the final clasp on my shoes. “I know the feeling.”