Hadley gently gestured toward the playroom. “She’s in there.”
Brady’s voice softened with concern. “How’s she been lately?” He remembered how hard Joy had taken things with Eric.
A tired nod answered him. “She’s improving,” Hadley said with a sigh. “Time will help her bounce back.”
Children, she reminded herself, had a way of healing with patience.
She motioned toward the sofa. “Come and have a seat. We can talk.”
“Alright.” Brady lowered himself onto the sofa and, without preamble, got right to business.
“When it comes to handling the logistics—who to call, what to arrange—you can leave all of that to me. The only thing I need your input on is the new location. Hadley, do you have a preference?”
A nod from Hadley showed she’d been considering this all afternoon. “I do have an idea.”
Memories from her childhood resurfaced as she spoke. “I was still a kid when Grandma passed… Looking back, I realize it’s only right for couples to be laid to rest together. Grandpa and Grandma deserved that.”
Nyla’s intentions had always been good, but that detail hadn’t crossed her mind at the time.
“Maybe this is the right moment to bring Grandpa and Grandma together—side by side, where they belong.”
Their devotion to each other had always been clear to everyone who knew them.
Brady echoed her thoughts. “I was actually thinking along the same lines. But what about your mother? Should she rest with them too?”
“That would be best,” Hadley replied, her gaze meeting his. “My mom lived her life alone. She’d feel less lonely with her parents by her side.”
Brady nodded in agreement. “You’re right.”
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After a short pause, he continued, “Grandma’s buried out at Kingsbridge. We can move Grandpa and your mother there as well. The only thing is…”
A troubled look settled on Brady’s face. “Securing adjacent plots at Kingsbridge Cemetery won’t be easy. Those spots are in high demand.”
Hadley quickly offered a solution. “What if we’re willing to pay extra? I’m not concerned about the cost, as long as we can get them together. You can use my funds—”
Brady’s light chuckle interrupted her, and he shook his head. “Hadley, you’re always so quick to reach for your wallet. I hadn’t even finished my thought before you jumped in with money.”
A gentle firmness entered his tone. “There’s no need for you to pay anything. I told you before, you don’t have to worry—not even about the expenses.”
“But…” Follow current nov?ls on FindN()vel.net
“End of discussion!” Brady’s words left no room for argument. “The Jenkins family owes you that much. Moving Grandpa and your mother’s graves isn’t a cost you should bear alone. How would that be fair?”
The firmness in his conviction left Hadley momentarily speechless. It was sometimes hard to believe how upright Brady was—so different from the rest of the Jenkins family.
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