Magnolia glances up at me. “We’ll talk about it. When does she want the funeral?”
“On a Saturday, of all days. So we’ve got a bit of time being it’s only Tuesday. I’ll get everything sorted out. You best not worry about a thing because Bernie left everything real clear.”
“God love you, Norma. She was so lucky to have you. And so am I.”
“God love you too, child. It’s been a privilege. Now, I see that nephew of mine coming down the street. He’s going to make sure everything goes smoothly for us here. I’ll keep you in the loop.”
“Thank you, Norma.”
The call ends, and Magnolia’s phone falls to the carpet again as she wraps her arms around me. Her bones seem to go liquid as she loses her grip.
“I got you, mama. Come on, let’s go back to our room.”
She doesn’t say anything as Jules jumps up and rushes for the door, opening it for us.
When we step into the hallway, Magnolia finds her footing and walks in a straight line, but I’d bet everything I have she’s not seeing what’s in front of her. She’s just going through the motions.
When we turn the corner, I catch sight of Keira’s red hair bouncing along her shoulders ahead of us. She turns around, presumably at the sound of footsteps. Her eyes go wide when she spots Magnolia walking rigidly beside me.
“Something wrong?” she asks, immediately locking in on us both.
Magnolia shakes her head. “It’s fine. Everything’s fine.”
That’s when I realize her go-to is alwaysfine.This woman, who is stronger than any other human I’ve ever met, hates showing weakness, even to her closest friends.
But Keira sees right through her. “What happened?” She glances at me, her expression sharp, like she’s ready to go to battle for her friend, and she’s relying on me for answers or to determine if I’m responsible for Magnolia’s current state.
Three beats of silence pass as I let Magnolia find the words. With each moment, Keira stiffens further.
“Bernie passed in her sleep. I just got the call,” Magnolia says, her voice steady and unemotional despite the chaos undoubtably raging inside her.
“Oh, Mags. I’m so freaking sorry.” Keira rushes forward to embrace her, whether Magnolia wants it or not.
“Bernie knew it was coming,” she says, her voice wavering. “She always knew everything. And of course she wouldn’t want a jazz funeral. She wouldn’t want anyone to have a reason to be happy on the day she was buried.” The pain in Magnolia’s voice completely changes the tone and meaning of the words coming out of her mouth.
“Of course she wouldn’t,” Keira says quietly, rubbing Magnolia on the back. After a few moments, she lifts her head to look at me. “Is there anything I can do to help? The restaurant can cater a lunch. We’ll make everything easy for you. Whatever you need.”
Magnolia pulls back from the hug. “Norma says Bernie has it all planned. Probably right down to the last detail. She evengot her book out yesterdayand gave it to poor Norma. How the hell could she have known it was the end?”
Keira’s head slides back and forth slowly, and Magnolia faces me.
“How could she have known?”
“I don’t know, mama. I’ve never been that age before. But I gotta believe sometimes people just know. Or maybe it really was her trying to control things to the very end. Either way, she was ready. Bernie made that clear.”
Magnolia nods twice, and tears well in her beautiful eyes. “I think I want to lie down.”
“Of course,” Keira says with another quick hug. “If you need anything at all, just let me know. We’re all here for you.” She kisses Magnolia on the cheek and pats me on the shoulder. “Take care of her.”
“Yes, ma’am. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. We’ll holler if we need anything.”
I lead Magnolia into the bedroom, and as soon as the door closes behind us, she releases her hold on me and stumbles toward the bed.
“Mama—”
She waves me off, but instead of sitting on the mattress, she drops to her knees beside it, burying her face in the blanket on top. The sound of her weeping all but rips the heart from my chest.
Thirty-One