Fallen Elements Read Online Free Page B

forward.
    “It’s done so quickly.” The man said
casually.
    Turning her head, Ryan looked at the driver.
“The day has been a whirlwind.”
    The man grinned. “No, miss. Life. Life is
done so quickly.” Shaking his head, the driver turned and walked
back around the car.
    Ryan felt an odd calm wash over her as she
crumpled the tissue and put it in her pocket. She would be through
this in relative seconds, compared to the entirety of her life. She
would feel hollow, stripped and inside out, but then she wouldn’t.
She would resign herself to having only known a portion of her
mother, a small spot in what was certainly an expansive woman.
    As she walked down the slight hill toward
where her mother was to spend the rest of eternity, Ryan was able
to let go of her anger from earlier. Regardless of her mother’s
failings, she had many successes too. Her mother was riddled with
contradictions, but Ryan couldn’t think of anyone that wasn’t.
    “You okay?” Carol took Ryan’s hand as she sat
down in one of the narrow wooden chairs that lined the opening to
her mother’s grave.
    Squeezing Carol’s hand, Ryan was grateful for
her cousin, her friend. “I’m good.”
    Glancing around Carol, Ryan saw Lucy, head
lowered, real tears having finally found her. “Aunt Lucy.” The
woman was startled as Ryan reached for her hand. “Thank you for
doing this. Mom would be thrilled.”
    Lucy smiled. In spite of the crying, her
make-up was perfect as she dabbed at her wet cheeks. “Thank
you.”
    “Friends and family, as we gather to pay our
respects…” The pastor’s voice faded into the background as Ryan’s
eyes scanned the large crowd. She and her mother hadn’t spoken for
over six years, and with the exception of a few distant cousins,
Ryan didn’t recognize any of the mourners.
    Her eyes stopped, and it was several seconds
before Ryan was able to process who she was seeing. Standing near
the back of the crowd, her face partially obscured by the collar of
a black Chesterfield coat, was the woman from the train.
    Ryan’s mind raced as she recalled their brief
exchange. The woman had said she was coming to New York to visit a
friend. Apparently the friend was actually Ryan’s mother. The
coincidence made her head spin.
    “What’s wrong?” Carol had taken notice of
Ryan tightening her grip around her hand, and her cousin’s focused
gaze across the sea of mourners.
    Leaning in, Ryan whispered in Carol’s ear.
“The blonde woman, with her coat collar popped. Over there.” She
struggled not to point. “Here name is Leah. Do you know her?”
    Carol’s eyes scanned the crowd. “I don’t know
her, but I don’t know half the people here.”
    Ryan leaned back in the chair, and couldn’t
take her eyes off of Leah. After several minutes, Leah’s eyes found
Ryan, and a look of recognition, quickly followed by shock, flashed
across the blonde’s face.
    Ryan managed a polite smile, and fought the
temptation to get up and walk over to Leah. She wanted to know how
she knew her mother, and was she as amazed at the coincidence as
Ryan was. Mostly though, Ryan was happy to have another chance to
talk to the woman, and maybe get to know her.
    You can’t seriously be thinking about
picking a practical stranger up at your mother’s funeral? Ryan
chastised herself, a blush shooting up her neck.
    Twenty minutes later, Ryan fought her way
through a sea of people, each intent on offering their condolences,
toward Leah. The blonde was halfway back to the cemetery’s service
road when Ryan caught up to her.
    “Leah. Hey, Leah.” Ryan was trying not to
yell at the woman, but subtlety wasn’t working. “Leah!”
    The blonde stopped, and after a second,
turned to face Ryan. “Ryan.”
    “Yeah, hi.” Ryan couldn’t help but smile,
relieved the woman remembered her name. “Why are you here?”
    Leah looked over Ryan’s shoulder at the
disbanding group of mourners. “Karen’s funeral.” Leah looked at
Ryan, her eyes