“I should have come sooner,” she said.

I wanted to answer honestly, but I couldn’t.

When she went toward the coffin, my whole body went rigid. Mom’s request pressed against my ribs — but Nicole looked broken, not dangerous.

I stepped aside. She rested a hand on the polished edge and whispered something only Mom could hear now.

Chapter 6 — The Envelope

That was when an elderly woman came into the chapel. She took two steps, saw Nicole at the coffin, and stopped cold.

Her face went white.