My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 644

Chapter 644

I closed my eyes for a second.

“She never asked me to become someone else. She simply loved the daughter she already had. I don’t know how to live in a world that doesn’t have her in it. I don’t know how to live in a world where I can’t call her. I don’t know how to celebrate birthdays without hearing her sing off-key. I don’t know how to stop reaching for someone who’s always been there.”

I drew in a slow breath.

“But I do know this,” I looked directly at Mom, “If love could have saved you, you would’ve lived forever.”

The room became completely silent.

“I hope,” my voice softened, “Wherever you are now, your body doesn’t hurt anymore. I hope you can breathe. I hope you can dance again. I hope you finally get to rest.”

No tears came. I wanted them to. I wanted to scream until my throat gave out. I wanted to fall apart the way everyone else had.

But I couldn’t.

It felt as though something inside me had simply… gone quiet, like someone had reached into my chest and switched off the part of me that knew how to break.

I looked toward Jules.

She was crying so hard in Claire’s arms that now Vincenzo was holding her as well.

“I don’t know how to be both a daughter who lost her mother and a sister who now has to help raise someone

else’s whole world.”

For the first time, my voice almost broke.

“But I’ll try. I’ll try because that’s what you would’ve wanted me to do. I’ll love Jules the way you loved us.”

A long silence settled over the room.

Then I smiled, the smallest smile, “My mother wasn’t famous. She didn’t want to be. She never cared about being remembered by the world. She only cared about being remembered by the people she loved.”

I placed one hand over my heart.

“And Mom,” I looked directly at her, “You succeeded. I will spend the rest of my life missing you and loving you. Thank you for being my mom.”

I stepped away from the podium.

The cemetery overlooked the far eastern gardens of the Capone estate. The afternoon sky had turned pale gray. A soft breeze carried the scent of damp earth and roses.

Every headstone in the cemetery bore the Capone name. Every one marked a life that had belonged to this family.

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