Beverly's POV

Lucas and I met for coffee three more times over the next two weeks and each meeting felt easier than the last. It felt natural, like breathing after holding my breath for too long.

We talked about parenting strategies and grief processes and the small victories that kept us going. Lucas's memories of Claire without the weight of everyone else's expectations pressing down on him to heal faster or move forward or stop being sad.

"She used to sing off-key in the shower," he said ...