A second later, we were sitting on the grass again, not looking at each other. "Sorry," David said.

I pulled at a stalk of grass. My throat ached, my whole body shook. "Everything's so final..." I leaned against David. I didn't have time to remember how afraid I was of him holding me, I moved closer before I'd even thought to do so.

David patted my back. "Come on. Let's – "

A car door slammed. I jerked straight up. Mama was coming up the walk. Her skirt blew out in the wind, her tiny heels clopped on the stone path like horseshoes. "There you are," she said.

I watched myself wipe grass off my skirt. Please Mama, don't make a scene.

"I should have known that you would have put cuddling with some boy over your granddaddy's funeral." Mama whirled around on David. "You, sir. Did you know we're burying her granddaddy today?"

"Yes, ma'am, I did. I thought if Ellie came here first – "

Mama spit in between the two of us. "You disgust me, both of you. Granddaddy half in the ground and you laying yourselves out in front of his house." She took a small set of keys and threw them at me. "He wanted you to have these. God knows why, it's bad enough he left his house to someone who refuses to do right."

"Mama, please – "

"Take the damn keys and go off to Boston or wherever the hell you want to go. I'm done with you."

Mama turned and went back to her car. I watched her. She slammed the door like she was still full of hatred, but when she was safely inside and thought I couldn't see, she slumped over the steering wheel and I knew she was sobbing.