Louis Catholic Church. The community has come out in droves to mourn the loss of one of its sons. Ryan pulls his truck into the parking area marked off for family members. I don’t feel like I deserve to be considered as such—I abandoned my relationship with Tommy when I should have cherished it. Ryan opens my door and holds out his hand, pulling me into a hug when I climb down from the truck’s cab. Sensing my remorse, he cradles my head against his chest. “Stop beating yourself up, sweetheart, he knew how much you loved him. Everyone grows up and moves away, it’s a part of life. He never held it against you,” he murmurs. Heartache rips my chest open as I cling to Ryan. I didn’t deserve Tommy’s adoration and I certainly don’t deserve Ryan’s understanding. Ryan shuttles me through the front doors into the vestibule where people are slowly gathering in the sanctuary. Keeping a protective arm around me, he braces me against the crowd.
