Chapter 24 - Amelia’s Place in the House
Octavia had been partly right about one thing.
Amelia still controlled rooms.
Not literally.
Through me.
Her coat remained in a hall closet three years after death.
Her mug.
Her reading chair untouched.
Her office locked except cleaners.
Juniper did not demand that.
I did.
Grief disguised as preservation.
Dr. Reed asked:
“Who are you preserving the house for?”
I said:
“Juniper.”
Then asked her.
“Do you want Mom’s office to stay the same?”
Juniper looked confused.
“No.”
I almost laughed.
“What do you want?”
“Craft room.”
Brutal.
Perfect.
We boxed Amelia’s papers carefully.
Family photographs.
Personal letters.
Legal documents.
Her sister took some clothes.
Juniper chose scarves.
The office became craft room.
Paint stains within forty-eight hours.
Amelia would have been horrified.
Then laughed.
We kept her reading chair.
Moved it to the library.
Mug chipped eventually.
I threw it away.
No funeral.
Memory became portable.
That mattered if I ever loved someone again.
No future partner should have to live inside a mausoleum.
Also no future partner gets to erase Amelia.
Middle.
May you like
Always harder.
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