Mrs. Nelson's funeral was less restrained than Mr. Nelson's service had been. As the church women chatted casually in the kitchen about an upcoming fundraiser, music played softly on the stereo. It was a lilting piano concerto that Mrs. Nelson's nurse, Margaret, had chosen in tribute to her. She had heard it often playing in Mrs. Nelson's house and mistakenly assumed that it was one of her favorites. Mrs. Nelson had, in fact, been playing the piece for Celeste. Zoey smiled when she realized the error but didn't see any reason to correct it. It symbolized, better than anything Zoey could have chosen, the thoughtful person Mrs. Nelson had been.
Without a grieving spouse to console, the unspoken consensus of the group was one of acceptance. By all accounts, Mrs. Nelson had made her choice. A
