I visit Victoria's grave two weeks after the engagement party.
Nobody knows I'm going. Not Harper, not Liam, not anyone. This is something I need to do alone.
The cemetery is quiet. Early morning, mist still hanging between the headstones. Victoria's plot is in the expensive section, of course. Marble headstone, perfectly manicured grass, a vase for flowers that's currently empty.
Victoria Anne Brooks Beloved Mother 1965-2025
Beloved mother. The words feel like a lie and a truth at the same time. She loved Layla in her twisted, destructive way. Just not enough to stop hurting her.
I set down the flowers I brought. White lilies, ironically. The same ones she sent me after Layla's supposed miscarriage. The same ones at Richard's wife's funeral.
"I don't know why I'm here," I say to the
