Page 42 of My One

Before we could take in more of the house, there was a knock on the door. Avery and I looked at each other, confused as to who it could be, and then we both moved back into the living room. He answered the door.

“Hello, I’m sorry to bother you,” an older woman with shoulder-length gray hair said. She was dressed in a purple, velvet tracksuit. “I live across the street and saw you pull up.”

“Oh, well, I’m sorry, but—”

She cut Avery off. “I know. Doug and Denise were in a horrible accident Friday evening.”

“Yes,” Avery whispered, agreeing with her.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

I stepped up to Avery, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Thank you.”

“You’re Avery, right?” the lady asked.

Avery blinked and turned his head slightly. “Yes.”

“That’s what I thought.” She reached out with an envelope in her hand. “Your mother asked me to keep this and give it to you if anything were to ever happen to her.”

Avery took the envelope. “What is it?”

“It’s better if you open it after I leave,” she answered.

“Okay. Thank you, Mrs. …?”

“Edna. Edna is fine.”

“Edna, thank you. This is my wife, Nicole.”

I stuck out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. If you two kids need anything from me, I’m the blue house across the street.”

“Thank you,” Avery replied. “Before you go, how’d you hear about the accident?”

Edna frowned. “I saw it on the news Friday night. At the time, they didn’t release any names, but I recognized the car, and I know the coroner, so I called his wife, Elise, and she confirmed it.”

“You’re in their book club?” I asked.

She smiled kindly. “I am, but it’s more of an excuse to drink wine.”

I chuckled. “My kind of book club.”

“Well, I’ll let you two get settled. I’m sure you have a lot to do. Again, if you need me, I’m just right across the street.”

“Thank you,” Avery responded.

Edna turned to leave, and Avery shut the door as I took a few steps back. “Want me to open that?” I offered, motioning to the envelope.

He looked down at it. “No, I can do it.”

“Okay.”

We moved and sat on the white, leather couch. Avery opened the unsealed envelope, and I waited, a little nervous of what it was. Everything these past few days had been nerve-racking. One minute I thought we were having a nice weekend away, and the next we were jetting off to the other side of the country due to tragedy. Now Avery was reading some document that a neighbor had dropped off as we sat in a stark-white house.

His gaze lifted and moved back to me. “It’s a will and a letter from my mother.”

Dear Avery,