Captured Lies Read Online Free PDF Page B

left to keep them open. She clasped her
hands in front of her. A strong spring breeze whipped around her, slicing
through her thin dress coat.
    “Excuse me, Miss Saunders?”
    It took a moment for Bailey to
realize the Minister was talking to her. She blinked at him. Genuine concern
was etched in his features and it pulled at Bailey with the deepest yearnings
of an emotionally starved child. She barely caught herself from leaning against
him. Just for a moment she wanted someone to take this away.
    Stand on your own two feet,
Bails. I didn’t raise a weakling. Bailey snapped upright as her mom’s words
popped into her mind.
    “The service is done. Your mom
will be laid to rest in the ground later today….”
    Bailey blinked several times. Too
numb to talk or to really understand what he was saying, she nodded. Squeezing her
hand, he said, “May God be with you.”
    “Thank you Reverend,” she mumbled
in return. He moved off towards a waiting car. The funeral was finally over.
Could she finally go home and…. and….
    “Hello. We’re Mr. and Mrs.
Prichard.” They grasped Bailey’s limp hand. “We’re so sorry for your loss.”
    Bailey turned and smiled wanly at
them.
    “We were regulars at your mom’s
store. She found some of the most exotic candies I’ve ever tasted. That Delafee
Chocolate she imported was very expensive but it was to die for.” The woman’s
eyes opened wide as what she said registered. She turned a bright shade of red.
“She’d never give away her secrets as to where she got her stuff. She was a
very mysterious lady but such a pleasure. I’m really sorry she’s gone.”
    Bailey nodded, not sure what else
to do. “Thank you. Mom would be happy you’re here.” The middle-aged couple
moved off towards a beautiful red convertible.
    “Ooooohhhhh. My dear–”
    “How tragic. This is just so
wrong–”
    “Your mom was in the prime of her
life. I’m so sorry.”
    Two stooped, cane-carrying ladies
moved right into her face and talked over the top of each other. Bailey looked
from one to another and then gave up trying to figure out who was saying what.
    “It’s never the right time. But
she’s with God now–”
    “She’s walking in the hands of
the Lord…”
    It dawned on her that these two
might just be professional funeral goers. Her mom didn’t have any best friends.
Or real friends, for that matter. Everyone was just an acquaintance. That was
one of the things they’d argued about over the years. Her mom had taught her
from a young age, don’t make friends, they’ll just hurt you or you’ll hurt
them.
    Her friends Tina and Deb
immediately came to mind. Isn’t that what she’d done to them? Again. And again.
She’d tried to make them friends, thinking it would solve everything but it
only created headaches. She sucked at it as she felt she did at most things in
her life.
    “Thank you. Excuse me.” Bailey
moved back from the two women who were openly bawling like they’d lost their
very own child. Sidestepping them, Bailey made her way around the gravesite. A
couple and a young girl of about twelve stepped in front of her. Bailey tried
to hide her annoyance.
    “Hi. We’re sorry for your loss.”
    “Thank you.” Bailey tried to go
around the threesome but the woman put her hand on her arm, detaining her.
Bailey looked at them blankly.
    “Your mom was so good to Taylor.”
The woman smiled at her daughter. “She used to come watch Taylor dance. She
taught her more about ballet then I think the instructors did. Our Taylor
blossomed under your mom’s teachings.”
    Bailey nodded. It wouldn’t do any
good to tell them they were at the wrong funeral. She’d begged her mom to put
her in dance but her mom had said it was a waste of time and it was expensive.
Who’d pay for it? She doubted her mom even knew what a plié was. The
woman gave her a quick hug before they moved off.
    Everyone had gone. She took a
deep breath then turned to look at her mom’s casket.