"She passed away a long time ago." I take the phone.
"Maybe it's her face." He shrugs. "Sometimes people just have familiar looking faces. You kind of look like her."
"These are my grandparents." I say. "Anyways, thanks for this." I hold up the card and turn to leave.
"Ember," he says before I open the door. "Watch yourself."
I give a quick nod and open the door. Both Vin and Carm turn and watch me closely as I step out and shut the door.
"Everything okay?" Carm is quick ask.
"Yeah." I shrug.
"What did he want?" He continues to inquire.
"Just to apologize for what happened the last time we fought." I shrug again.
"What happened?" Carm has lost his fucking mind, there's no other explanation.
I stop suddenly mid step and turn to look at him, "my mother was murdered by your father." My voice is low and deadly.
"Oh," he has enough sense to look chagrined. "Sorry Hermanita, my head has been all over the place."
"Let's head to your office, I need to discuss a few things." I look at Vin, "get everyone ready to leave."
Vin nods and heads off in the opposite direction. I lead the way to Carm's office with him following close behind me. I can feel the tension he's exuding and it's stifling. I know I snapped on him but honestly my mother's death will never be an easy subject for me to discuss.
I open his office door and step inside. His desk is a mess of papers and stacks of money, this must be my fight earnings.
I take a seat at the desk and he sits at the opposite side.
"Ember..." he begins but I cut him off.
"Carm, it's fine." I rub my temples. "What have you found out about the adoption agency?"
"There is no such agency now. They are completely closed down."
"Okay... but what did you find out about them? They must have a paper trail of when they were open and running. Something."
"There's no paper trail left behind. I tried looking through government files and found nothing legit with the name Love the Tots.” He’s looking me in the eye and I growl in frustration.
“You never did answer me about the picture of my grandparents. Did you recognize them?”
“Sorry Ember, I’ve been crazy busy.” He scrubs a hand down his face. “I’ve never seen them in my life. They were never here.”
“I see.” I nod and feel a sudden onset of despair.
Every lead I get pans out to nothing. Talia is slipping further and further away.
“Don’t give up, we’ll get something.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Find something useful for Marlana and I don’t mean your bed buddy.”
“You got it.” He nods. He gets up from his chair to embrace me. “Are you sure this is the life you want, Hermanita?”
“It’s the life I chose, Carm. I will see everything to the end.”
“I don’t doubt you.” He kisses the top of my head. “Have a safe drive back.” He hands me five of the ten stacks of bills on his desk.
“Thanks.” I cradle them in my arms and wait for him to open the door.
I follow the hallway back to my room and see Vin there with our bags. “Nice stacks.” He grins.
“All in a day's work.” I push them into my duffle bag.
“What did you learn from Carm?”
“I learned that we're on our own.”
I’m stuck in a car with a singing Emmett and a giggling Adri. I should’ve somehow snuck into the Hummer with Vin and Travis.
“Ember,” Emmett calls back to me.
“Eyes on the road, Champ. You hurt Shelby and we are squaring up.” I mutter.
“Can we go by the cemetery and see our grandparents graves?” He skates over my comment like I didn’t just threaten him.
I’m tired as hell but I don’t want to deny him. It’s our family after all.
“Yeah, but I’m dead on my feet. Can we make it a quick one today?”
“As long as we can drop by the mausoleum so I can drop off flowers.” He gives me puppy eyes in the rearview mirror.
I nod and rest my head back against the seat. We enter Whitsborough-the sign reading 'Love thy Neighbour'-and I snort at how serene it looks.
Soon enough, the cemetery pulls into view and Emmett stops at the front office. None of us know where exactly our grandparents are buried and this cemetery is quite large.
I watch as he comes out of the office and gets back in the car.
"They bought a large plot on the outer edge, an older part of the cemetery rarely visited anymore. They said the ground is a bit rougher back there." Emmett says as we drive past newer tombstones.
"Sounds like an adventure today." I say around a yawn.
"My grandparents are buried around there too." Adri adds. "We never visit them because it's not really tended to back there."
"Hmm."
I watch as the tombstones gradually grow darker and more obscured by weed growth as they get older. The trees are larger, casting more shadows than sunlight and the overall feeling this far back is creepy.
Emmett stops Shelby and we all lean forward to look ahead. It's dense with foliage and the tombstones are half buried in the tall grass.
"This is kind of scary." Adri whispers and Emmett nods his head.
"Oh come on, Pussies." I huff. "Let's get this over with."
I get out of the car and start walking along the overgrown cobblestone trail. I swat aside grass as I go, trying to read the names on the tombstones.
“Fuck,” I gasp. “This one is 1920.”
“Over here.” I hear Adri call out.
I turn and see her about thirty yards to my right. I trek it over to her and Emmett, trying not to trip on tree roots.
“Do you find it strange that our aunt and uncle didn’t upkeep their graves?” Emmett asks me as he pulls away the grass and weeds.
“Kind of?” I shrug. “Or it’s just in a weird spot.”
It’s just their names and the dates. Nothing about being loving parents or rest in peace. I can admit
