Jake's Wake Read Online Free

around.” He shifted the car into reverse, let off the brake just a little.
    The jerky motion shook her out of her reverie. She turned to him sharply.
    “No!”
    He stepped on the brake, shrunk back as if stung. She shook her head, and he put it back into park.
    “The church is my responsibility now. You have to understand that. You have to respect my…my
responsibility
.” Her voice went up half an octave at the end.
    “I know. It’s just that…”
    “It’s not just what we want, Mathias. You know that.”
    “I know, but…”
You’ve done enough for him today
, she knew he wanted to add, and it made her want to scream. Her hand reached for the volume knob, ready to turn it up and cover the sound.
    Then she caught herself. Took the proverbial deep breath. And shot him the very best smile she could gather, uniting them around what mattered.
    “We have to do what’s right by the Lord,” she said.
    Mathias nodded in defeat, and turned the key.
    The engine cut off, along with the music. The headlights shut off, plunging the yard into deeper darkness. The ticking of the engine was like jumping beans in a coffee can. Aside from the wind, it was the only sound.
    They exited the car and started walking toward the door, Emmy pacing ahead with her lips pursed and eyes locked on the glimmering stained glass. She could feel Mathias behind her, with his arms half out, as if she might faint and need catching.
    Indeed, she did feel faint, felt the world turn unreal.The wind soughed and whistled through the eaves of the long, low house, bone-gray oak leaves swishing around her feet and the clankity, old-fashioned playground equipment.
    She had a terrible, visceral sense, just then, of a deeper shadow in the dark. As if something unseen were swooping over them, watchful and malign.
    Then the front door opened, and a woman in black appeared, genial and smiling.
    “Hello. You must be Emmy.”
    “Mrs. Connaway.”
    “Call me Esther. Thank you so much for coming.”
    Mathias and Emmy entered stiffly. Esther closed the door, ushered them toward a small couch.
    The living room was dimly lit and sparsely furnished, with pale yellow walls and age-stained lamp shades that muzzled the light. Uneasy shadows from the fireplace danced on the walls.
    A handsome Latino in a
guayabera
shirt was tending the fire. He turned and smiled at them. Emmy nodded in his direction, then looked at Mathias. Adrift in his own anxiety, he quickly picked up on her unasked question.
Who in the world is that?
    “Please have a seat,” Esther said. “Can we get you something to drink?”
    “Nothing for me, thank you,” Emmy said. Her eyes bounced around the unfamiliar room in search of an anchor.
    That’s when she noticed the pictures on the mantel above the fireplace.
    “I’d like a ginger ale?” Mathias said, but she barely heard him. Her focus was locked on one picture in particular.
    A framed wedding portrait.
    Of Esther.
    And Jake.
    Dear God
, Esther thought, as the tears welled up in the young girl’s eyes. She felt it welling up inside herself, flinched against it…
    …and then the sobbing began
, Emmy balling up on the couch and wailing. Her young companion awkwardly tried to comfort her, but clearly did not know how.
    Esther cast a
help me
glance at Eddie, then rapidly yanked it back.
    The fire roared and leapt out of its bed, as if the wind gusting down the chimney had turned to kerosene.
    Eddie sprang into action. “Okay! Ginger ale for you. Ms. Esther?”
    “Please.”
    Eddie went to the kitchen to fetch the drinks.
    Emmy was still sobbing. “I’M SO SORRY! I’m so sorry…I promised myself I wasn’t going to do this…”
    “It’s okay…” Esther said.
    “I can’t believe he’s actually dead!”
    Esther was tearing up, as well. “I know…”
    Suddenly, both of them were crying: Esther just standing there, trying gallantly to hold it in, Emmy doubled over and not even trying, both rendered equally ridiculous by