Kim and her friends were there, pushing hand-trucks of Debra's gear. I
got ready to shout something horrible at them, and that's when Debra
came in. I moderated the shout to a snap, opened my mouth to speak,
stopped.
Behind Debra were Lil's parents, frozen these long years in their
canopic jars in Kissimmee.
========= CHAPTER 9 =========
Lil's parents went into their jars with little ceremony. I saw them just
before they went in, when they stopped in at Lil's and my place to kiss
her goodbye and wish her well.
Tom and I stood awkwardly to the side while Lil and her mother held an
achingly chipper and polite farewell.
"So," I said to Tom. "Deadheading."