“I know, I know,” their mother said, wringing her hands. “Maybe we can set you up in the garage?
Just then, a crash came from the living room, followed by raised voices. Their father called out, “Honey, can you come here? Uncle Frank knocked over the lamp again.”
Their mother hurried off, leaving Laura and Jen standing in the kitchen, surrounded by chattering relatives.
“Well, this is a disaster,” Jen muttered.
Laura nodded, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over her. “Come on, let’s go find a hotel.”
They said quick goodbyes to their parents, promising to return in the morning for the funeral. As they drove away, Laura could see the relief mixed with guilt on her mother’s face
“I can’t believe they didn’t save us a place to sleep,” Jen grumbled as they headed towards the nearest hotel.
Laura sighed. “You know how Mom gets when family visits. She can’t say no to anyone.”
After trying three hotels that were fully booked, they finally found one with a vacancy. The room was small, with two twin beds crammed into the space, but at that point, they were too tired to care.
Jen flopped onto one of the beds. “Not exactly the homecoming I was expecting.”
Laura sat on the edge of her bed, setting the alarm on her phone. “At least we’ll get some peace and quiet here. We should try to get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”
As she lay in bed, Laura couldn’t help but wonder what other surprises this trip had in store for them.
Morning came far too soon, announced by the shrill beeping of Laura’s phone alarm. She groaned, fumbling to silence it.
“Jen, wake up,” she called, her voice still rough with sleep. “We need to get ready.”
Jen mumbled something unintelligible and burrowed deeper into her blankets.
Laura dragged herself out of bed and into the tiny bathroom. As she got ready, she could hear Jen moving around the room, presumably doing the same
They rushed through their morning routine, barely having time to grab coffee from the hotel lobby before jumping in the car. The drive to the church was tense, with both sisters silently dreading the day ahead.
They pulled into the church parking lot just as people were starting to file in. Laura spotted their parents near the entrance, looking stressed but put–together.
“There you are!” their mother exclaimed as they approached. “Harry, it’s about to start”
They followed the crowd into the sanctuary, which was already packed. Laura and Jen found themselves shuffling down a pew near the back, whispering apologies as they squeezed past other attendees.
The service began solemnly, with the pastor sharing warm memories of their great aunt. Laura found her mind wandering, thinking about the few times she’d met the woman when she was younger.
As the pastor invited family members to share their own remembrances, Laura noticed a commotion near the front of the church. To her horror, she saw Uncle Frank stumbling towards the podium..
“Oh no,” Jen whispered beside her. “This can’t be good.”
Uncle Frank gripped the sides of the podium, swaying slightly. “I’d like to say a few words about my dear Aunt Mabel,” he began, his words slightly slurred
At first, his speech was coherent, if a bit rambling. He shared a few childhood memories that drew chuckles from the congregation. But then, his tone changed.
“You know, Aunt Mabel always said bonesty was the best policy,” Frank said, his voice growing louder. “So let me be honest. This family has some secrets that need airing out!”
CHAPTER THETITIVE APO se Made in the Dark
A collective gasp went through the church. Laura saw her mother trying to stand up, presumably to stop Frank, but she was blocked in by other relatives.
“Like how cousin Betty isn’t really Uncle Joe’s daughter,” Frank continued, oblivious to the horrified looks. “Remember that summer she spent with the tennis instructor‘? Ha!”
Whispers erupted throughout the sanctuary. Laura could see Betty, a woman in her forties, turning bright red and sinking
