Chapter 38

• The woman beside him seemed to brighten, noticing the commotion, and eagerly tugged Jake towards the three of them, clinging to the comfort of familiar faces. Roxanne held her breath with every advancing step he took, and wondered if his knees felt as weak as hers.
• Oscar kept one hand on her shoulder but reached out with the other to clasp Jake’s, squeezing it. “So good of you to come, Jake. Terrible shame, isn’t it?”
• Jake mumbled out the typical platitudes that a wake often afforded, but thanks to his quiet demeanor mixed with the general noise of the room, Roxanne managed to drown most of it out in favor of focusing on panicking.