me Chantella thought and put a hand on her knee You’re upset he said barely glancing her way He never looked her in the eyes anymore I miss Mom she said I’m sorry Her dad sighed again I miss her too he said And when I look at you I miss her doubly She took her dad’s hand He flinched a little as their hands touched You’re her all over again her dad said his voice and eyes soft and caring They almost never were nowadays He looked at Chantella and pushed a chestnut lock of hair behind her ear But Chantella knew he wasn’t seeing his daughter He was seeing his late wife She coughed and her dad’s trance ended He cleared his throat and stood up That’s over now he said tugging at the lapels of his tuxedo Now we have Mara and the twins A new family It’ll be a fresh start But I don’t want a fresh start Chantella thought as he left closing the door behind him
Chantella followed him out a moment later but rather than heading to the front of the church to throw rice and cheer with the rest of the guests she went out the side door into a small serene graveyard From there Chantella could hear the cheers as her dad and new stepmother hurried out the ornate doors and down the steps to their waiting limousine She could picture them both smiling and running crouched against the rice that was raining down on them She stepped gently past graves old and new and stopped at one of the newest It shined Its letters were still sharp and crisp Cordelia Verre beloved wife and mother She is singing in heaven
Chantella was tired of crying Her mother had died a little less than a year earlier and she had been crying ever since But today was the worst day in a long time Standing at her mother’s grave listening to her family and friends applauding in front of the church she thought she might cry again But instead she sang You are my sunshine my only sunshine Her mother used to sing it to her at bedtime and bath time When Chantella felt she was too old to be sung to like a baby she asked her mom to stop She was probably twelve then just three years ago Now she wished she’d never asked her mom to stop singing
