Pushing Up Daisies Read Online Free PDF

family talks to her.”
    Daisy nodded. “I know. Anyway, I’ll go get Jay. His first big tournament is this evening. I have to be there. We were supposed to…Jasper and I. It was so important to Jay. To all of us. Somebody can drive me.”
    Marcus sat down beside her and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll take care of the funeral arrangements.”
    “We have it under control, Marcus,” Gigi said.
    “No!” Marcus shouted, then scanned the room as if he were daring everyone—anyone—to go against him. “No. I’ll do it.”
    Daisy stared at Marcus and could read the tension on his face as his eyebrows drew close together, almost touching. She’d never seen him so angry, so adamant. “Why, Marcus? Why are you so intent on doing it?”
    “I have to,” he spat, and avoided Daisy’s eyes. She knew something was wrong, felt a warning that she didn’t have time to heed. “You don’t understand—I have no choice.” Manly tears spilled from his eyes and he wiped them away as fast as they came.
    “What’s your problem, Marcus?” Gigi asked. “Why the sudden urgency?”
    “Gigi,” Marcus said slowly, “I can do it. I have to. I promised Jasper before he…”
    Gigi turned to Daisy. “Is it okay? Do you mind if Marcus handles the funeral? Because Ming Li and I can—”
    “I said I’ll do it, Gigi,” Marcus said. “Damn!”
    “All right, Marcus.” Gigi nodded. “But you’re going to explain yourself later—the reason you’re in here carrying on like a fool.”
    Ming Li shook her head at Marcus. “It’ll be alright, Daisy. Gigi and I’ll go to Jay’s game with you while Marcus handles everything else. He knows what to do. Let’s hope he does.”

    Daisy stepped out of the shower. She hadn’t even wanted to bathe, but Ming Li had insisted that it would make her feel better.
    She moved to the mirror, gripping the sides of the sink. She barely recognized herself. Her eyes were puffy, and her nose was red. When she tried to put her toothbrush in her mouth, her lips split from the dryness. She was dehydrated from hours of crying.
    She heard a knock on the door, then Ming Li walked in. “You alright in here? Need me to help you with anything?”
    “No, thanks. I’ll be okay. Really. You guys can go home if you want. Don’t let me burden you.”
    “Daisy, you’re no burden, and we’re not leaving. We’ve made arrangements. So guess what? You’re going to have to put up with us for seven days.” Ming Li paused, a sympathetic smile coming to her face. “And I hate to bother you with this, but Marcus can’t find Jasper’s parents’ number. Gigi doesn’t know it, and her mother’s not home to give it to her.”
    Daisy stared at the ceiling, thinking. “I don’t know the number. They were never close. Didn’t call or anything.” Daisy shrugged. “Give me a minute to dress. I’ll check his office. And since you two insist on staying, there are extra house keys in the jewelry box on the chest.”
    “Okay. I’ll tell Marcus, so he can start preparing himself. He says he’s never met Jasper’s parents, and he can’t figure out how to tell them that…well, you know.”
    “Tell him not to worry. I’ll call them myself.”
    “Okay,” Ming Li said. “But if you can’t, you know you don’t have to. I’ll do it for you.”

    Daisy held Jasper’s PalmPilot and stared at his parents’ number. She inhaled deeply, held her breath, and exhaled. She tapped her fingers against her forehead, dreading the call.
    “What am I supposed to say? ‘Hello, this is Jasper’s girlfriend. I’m just calling to inform you that your son died,’ ” Daisy whispered. How do you tell someone that they’ve now lost both of their twin boys—their only sons? Jonathan and now Jasper too? As she reached for the cordless phone, a pile of pale-gold-and-navy custom stationery fell to the floor. She smiled faintly, remembering the pleased look on Jasper’s face when she’d had it designed for him three