The air in the old community hall was thick with the smell of slow-cooked meat, cheap tobacco, and the faint, cloying scent of funeral flowers. Linsy braced herself for the sidelong glances and hushed whispers, the judgment that had followed her all day. But before she could even fully enter, a voice boomed across the room.

"Linsy! Over here, come sit with us! And bring that husband of yours!"

A woman, her face creased with a sudden, effusive smile, grabbed Linsy's arm. It was a distant aunt, ...