Two hours later, I was standing at my sister's door. An overnight bag hung from my shoulder, while my suitcase waited in the trunk.

I turned toward the dark parking lot. How had it taken me so long to pack? I remembered getting my black suit, but nothing else. The bag had been heavy though, surely I'd have everything I'd need.

"Joby?" Andre's voice snapped me from my trance.

"Sorry. I didn't hear the door open."

"That's okay. Come on in." My sister's boyfriend backed up, letting me inside. "Liv's in her room. You can go on. I was about to make her some tea. Would you like some?"

"Umm, sure. Thanks."

"No problem." He squeezed my arm in a comforting gesture as I passed by.

Liv was sitting in the middle of her bed, surrounded by photo albums. She looked up when she heard me and used the fistful of crumpled tissues she held to wipe her cheeks. "She's gone."

"I know." My chest tightened and tears filled my eyes.

She patted the bed beside her, and as I settled there, I saw the album she'd been flipping through was open to pictures of us as kids with Granny. We were on the beach near her house. Granny sat in the sand, holding her big floppy hat in place as a breeze ruffled her hair, and she smiled at the two of us splashing in the surf. Dad must've taken the picture.

I rested my fingertip against the photo as memories of so many days spent that way filled my mind. The warm sun, the crashing waves, the chatter of young voices, and of course Granny—her laugh and the way she'd happily watch us play for hours. She never rushed us to leave, but when we were worn out and ready to go, she'd wrap towels around each of our shoulders and kiss our noses, always saying, "You're getting brown as peanuts in all this sun."

Liv turned the page, and there were four pictures of us on Granny's front porch eating homemade ice cream. I smiled at the image of Mom and Dad leaning against the railing. Mom usually skipped dessert, but Dad was trying to get her to try a bite of his, while Liv and I were each grinning into our bowls and our cousin Briar sat on the other side of the steps, scowling into the distance, letting her ice cream melt.

I pointed at Briar's angry expression. "Even back then, she was miserable."

Liv sighed and pointed to a picture on the opposite page where Aunt Ruth Grace wore a lime green bikini top with shorts and leaned against a man's chest, holding a bite of ice cream over her shoulder to feed him. "Sometimes I feel sorry for her. That guy wasn't around long, was he? I can't even think of his name."

"Me neither, but after all the crap Briar put you through, I have a hard time feeling sorry for her, even if her mom was a mess."

"Was?" Liv let out a breath of laughter. "I'm not sure she's improved much. Although the butt doctor seems to be hanging in there."

I chuckled at the description. "Kiaan. He's putting up with trying to get Briar under control. We should probably use his actual name."

"Yeah. He's earned it." My sister gave me a smile tinged with sadness. "I guess Briar will be at Granny's."

"Yeah. I'm sure Ruth Grace will want to help. She might be a mess, but she loved her mother as much as the rest of us." My eyes fell on the picture of Granny, sitting there on her porch swing, looking completely content with her family surrounding her and a treat in her hand.

"Granny makes the best peach ice cream," Liv said with a sniff.

"Yep."

"I wonder if she has the recipe written somewhere?"

"Maybe." I shrugged. "She seemed to do a lot of her cooking from memory, but I know she has a little box with recipes."

"Oh, yeah. And they're in her handwriting! Who will get that?"

The thought of divvying up her things turned my stomach. "I don't know. Do you want it?"

"Not necessarily. I just don't want it to get lost."

I nodded and turned another page as Andre entered the room carrying two mugs and bringing the scent of lavender tea with him. He gave me a cup and studied Liv's face as he passed her a drink. "Doing okay here?"

She shrugged as she tilted her head to accept a kiss on the cheek and gave him a tight smile. "I know it's ridiculous, but I just sort of expected Granny to be around forever."

"Me too." I sipped the tea and stared at her face in the twenty-year-old picture. "She was beautiful. I've never known anyone so full of life."

Nate crossed my mind. He had the same openness Granny had always had. A way of caring for people that makes you feel like the most important person in the world while still making you want to be better for them.

I shoved the thoughts of Nate away. I didn't get to come out like I'd promised, so I couldn't call him. Until I could prove that I was ready to be the man he deserved, I wouldn't burden him with my problems.

He and Granny had become friends, but Wayden was so far away. Maybe once we had the funeral planned, I'd call him in case he wanted to be there.

Liv flipped the album shut and pulled another one closer. For the next couple of hours, we reminisced over the brightest parts of our childhood, all of which included Granny.

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