Her smile widened, bittersweet and filled with a strange warmth.
Her mother had always wanted white curtains, but her father had vetoed the idea. “They’ll get dirty too quickly,” he had said. “You’ll have a hard time cleaning them.”
Back then, Evelyn hadn’t thought much of it. Her father always seemed so concerned for her mother’s well-being. But now, standing here, she saw it differently.
Why hadn’t her father offered to clean them himself? Why had it always been her mother’s burden to bear?
But now, at least, her mother was free. She had her white curtains and Evelyn was certain there was someone in her life willing to help keep them clean.
Evelyn touched her ears absentmindedly, then turned her back on the house.
“Goodbye, Mom. Goodbye, Dad,” she whispered under her breath.
And then, as her steps took her further away, she added softly, “Goodbye, Christopher.”
