The fluorescent lights of the morgue cast a sickly glow over everything, making the white sheets look almost gray. I moved through the space like a ghost, signing papers with a hand that barely felt like my own.
"Mrs. Robinson, we'll need to prepare the bodies for identification," the attendant said gently. "Would you like to provide their personal effects?"
I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. From the bag I'd brought, I pulled out Margaret's cardigan—the soft blue one she always wore when we had Sunday dinners. The one she'd been wearing when she last hugged me, just three days ago.
"This was her favorite," I said, my fingers tracing the pearl buttons. "And this—" I held up David's tie, a deep burgundy silk that he'd worn to every family gathering. "He said it made him feel distinguished."
The funeral director, a kind-faced woman with tired eyes, nodded. "We'll take good care of them."
"Do you need anything else?" I asked.
"Your husband—" she began.
"My husband?" The words came out sharper than I intended.
"Yes, usually the spouse handles the arrangements..."
I looked down at the forms in my hand, at the signature I'd just scrawled across the bottom. "He's unavailable," I said flatly.
She didn't push, but I saw the question in her eyes. What kind of man leaves his wife to handle his parents' funeral alone?
I held Margaret's cardigan to my face and breathed deeply. The faint scent of lavender—her signature perfume—clung to the fabric. Something inside me hardened, like steel cooling in water.
"I'm done being understanding," I whispered to the empty room. "I'm done making excuses."
---
At noon, Messiah and Phoenix sat at a small café table, their hands intertwined over plates of untouched food. Phoenix scrolled through her phone, her smile widening as she showed Messiah something on the screen.
"Look at all the comments," she said, her voice warm with satisfaction. "Everyone thinks we're meant to be together."
Messiah glanced over, his own phone buzzing in his pocket. He ignored it, focusing on Phoenix instead.
"You deserve this happiness," she continued, squeezing his hand. "After everything we've been through."
He smiled, but something flickered across his face—a momentary unease he couldn't quite name. Finally, he pulled out his phone, frowning at the screen.
"Haven's at a crematorium?" he muttered, irritation coloring his voice. "Is she really going to keep this up?"
Phoenix leaned over to look, her expression shifting to one of practiced concern. "She's always been so dramatic," she said softly. "Remember how she used to make everything about her feelings?"
"You should go talk to her," Phoenix continued, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "Set some boundaries. This emotional manipulation isn't healthy for you."
Messiah nodded slowly, his jaw tightening. "You're right. I'll handle it."
---
The crematorium's family viewing room was quiet except for the soft hum of fluorescent lights. I stood beside two covered gurneys, my hands resting on the cool metal frames.
The door burst open with a bang that made me flinch.
"Haven, this has gone far enough!" Messiah's voice cut through the silence like a knife.
I turned slowly, my face carefully blank as he strode into the room, Phoenix clinging to his arm like a particularly persistent shadow.
"I understand you're upset about your parents," he continued, his words sharp and clipped. "But showing up at my work, blowing up my phone, sending graphic photos—this is manipulative behavior. I was gone for ONE evening. You can't use your family tragedy to control me."
Phoenix stepped forward, her voice soft and syrupy with false sympathy. "Haven, we know you're grieving, but you have to understand that Messiah has his own life. You can't expect him to drop everything just because—"
"Just because what?" I asked quietly.
They both froze, caught off guard by my calm tone.
"Just because what, Phoenix?" I repeated, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.
Phoenix's smile faltered as she realized I wasn't crying or shouting—I wasn't playing the role she expected.
"Haven," Messiah began again, but I cut him off with a single look.
"You don't get to speak," I said softly. "Not yet."
