CEO FALLS IN LOVE

part ways. Grace earned a veterinary fellowship in Wisconsin, on the other side of the country. I went on to UCLA in California. I helped throw a surprise part

morning, until we fell into a tired sleep. I woke up with a start, a few minutes later and without saying a word, I lay down between my father and mother, looking for comfort that I hadn't sought since we moved to Texas. My mother hugged me and played with my hair until I fell asleep. I then woke up to the most difficult day of my life. Wearing a simple black dress and holding hands with my mother, we went to the cemetery. From afar and somewhat numb, I watched people pay their respects and greet us with nods of the head and small touches on the arm. In the distance I saw Miranda arrive with Colin and Jared and run towards me. She hugged me, as expansive and welcoming as her daughter, whispering in my ear that Grace couldn't come back because of the money. I knew things at CJ were told. The business was beginning to flourish, however my best friend was on a course before university, and even with a full scholarship, she had expenses that could suffocate the family for a few years. I wanted Grace to be there, but it wasn't always possible. I stayed there, between Miranda and my mother, until the coffin came down and I said goodbye with affection, throwing dirt on her tombstone. I would miss you so much. The night before, my grandmother laughed and talked to me, wished me a good night and did not see the dawn of a new day. The world was unfair. Still amidst the confusion, we went home, where people appeared with food and started telling stories about my grandmother. We lived on the second floor of the bookstore. The house was small, but the residents of the small town made an effort to be there. I understood, but I still felt suffocated. I was never popular, I never liked crowds. And all the stories about Zooey Anderson were bittersweet. I knew all that about my grandmother, but I refused to recognize that she would no longer be there. So I ran away, getting up from the room full of people and sitting on the stairs at the entrance of the house, running away from that small memorial. As much as I wanted to appreciate people's gestures, I wanted to be alone at that moment, without the laughter, the hugs and everything else. There was a small balcony th