Chapter 36

• “But I’m not even practicing,” Roxanne lamented, tugging at the strap of her Loewe bag in a manner that her grandfather would probably call puerile. “Isn’t it disingenuous for me to be here?”
• “It’s not disingenuous to pay your respects to a dead family member, no,” her grandfather responded, his tone matter of fact. “Some might even say it is kind, especially considering you missed the funeral. Your blouse is done up unevenly, by the way.”
• She looked down, chin bumping her chest, and sure enough, her grandfather was right. She fumbled with it for a moment, her fingers pushing the tiny pearl buttons through their respective holes. It took far longer than it reasonably should have like her frantic morning had seemingly muddied her neural pathways. Her morning had been in a rush, in a way that she didn't feel particularly comfortable outlining to her grandfather. She desperately hoped that the flush of her cheeks didn't compel him to ask.