Be Rude but Love Me | ✔

CHAPTER 44

Lucy and I go have dinner with the Simons the next day. As always, I set the table and as I ask Mrs. Simons to let me help with dinner, she shoos me away and tells me to go have fun with Lucy and Ellie. Will is helping his father in the garage with God knows what and I'm left with the girls.

"Look," Lucy suddenly calls as we sit on the couch in the living room, "you look so much like her, Tracy."

I frown at her, wondering what she means. She comes towards me and hands the photograph she's been holding. It's a beautiful picture of Will and his parents, but also a girl I do not recognize. She's smiling brightly at the camera, hugging Will as she rests her head on his shoulder. The more I look at her, the more I realize that Lucy is right. We do look alike. The same oval face and long nose, same eyes.

Lucy goes off to check out the other photographs. I follow her, wondering how I've never seen these until now. Yes, I am aware that most of my time in this house is either spent with Ellie or Will upstairs or in the kitchen, but somehow I tell myself I should have seen those before.

"How come I never saw them before?" I ask more to myself than to anyone in particular.

"That's because they weren't there before."

I turn around as Will and his father enter the living room. Mr. Simon picks up one of the many photographs on the shelf and looks fondly, tracing his finger on the smooth surface.

"It's our daughter, Serena." Mr. Simon puts back the photograph and faces me with a sad smile. "She was in the army." His eyes get teary but no tears fall. "Died three years ago."

"I'm sorry," I whisper, my heart clenching at the sadness on his features.

He offers a thankful smile. "It's hard, you know? Every day without her." He swallows. "But then I saw you that day. You look so much like her that I told myself it was a message from her from above telling us to move on with our lives, you know? Telling us that where she was up there with God, she was so much better."

He turns back to the photographs, looking at his daughter with love. "So I decided to put those out again. To remember her. Remember that she's happy now somewhere."

I walk up to Will's father without thinking and give him a hug. "She's happy that you're moving on, she wouldn't want you to live in the past forever."

I disentangle myself from him as he offers a warm smile. Behind him, I notice his wife staring at us, tears running down her cheeks. She walks up to me and engulfs me in her arms.

"Thank you, Tracy. Thank you, darling." When she pulls away, she wipes her eyes and puts on a cheery smile, and I know it's not fake. "Well, food is ready. Shall we?"

"Finally!" Lucy exclaims. "I'm hungry."

My face reddens from embarrassment at my little sister's behavior but everyone laughs it off and eases slowly back into less dangerous territory. My devil of a sister is already long gone, probably already seated at the table and impatient to eat.

Conversation during dinner is light and punctuated with laughter and anecdotes. As the summer comes to an end, we fill Mr. and Mrs. Simons in on all that we've done: the 4th of July fair, camping, going to the river, the endless outings. They show genuine interest in what we have to say, and particularly in Lucy's exaggerated versions of the events.

Once we've all had dessert – a homemade chocolate cake – Will's parents bid us goodbye and retreat to their bedroom, calling it an early night. They kiss me and thank me again and I'm more than happy to have brought them a peace of mind.