Page 84 of You'll Be the Death of Me

“Oh dear, I’m sorry,” Mr. Lewis said in a fluster that sounded much like Cole. He went to kick off his green Crocs and almost tripped.

Dell couldn’t help but quietly laugh. “Guess clumsiness runs in the family,” she muttered.

Cole cast her a teasing glare. “My dad loves to garden,” he said like he was puzzling something out. “He sells vegetables at the farmers’ market.”

“Sorry about the dirt, Care,” he said to his wife. “But the good news is, the tomatoes look great. Should have a nice haul for the farmers’ market next weekend.”

Dell and Cole swapped a look.

“That’s lovely, dear,” Mrs. Lewis said. “I’ll be right back with some drinks.”

“It’s a good thing you asked for iced tea, because my mom uses fresh lemons from the yard to make lemonade, and it’s always too tart,” Cole whispered, as if he might offend his mother, even though no one but Dell could hear.

“So, how did you two know Cole?” Mr. Lewis said, and sat in the armchair adjacent to the couch.

“We were in the same program in grad school,” Jason said. “And Robbie here is my grad student now. He was interested in Cole’s work, and I was so sorry to hear about his passing when I went to look him up for an introduction.”

Mr. Lewis nodded. “Our boy did a lot of good work. He is missed by many.” His voice choked up at the end of his sentence.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Lewis,” Dell said. “Your son is an amazing person—was! an amazing person. I mean, I wish Icould have met him...” She felt Robbie’s face ignite both from her stumble and from the death glare Jason shot her.

Mr. Lewis cast her an odd look right as Mrs. Lewis returned carrying a tray of drinks. “Here you go: fresh iced tea. Good choice too, because I’ve been told my lemonade is a little on the tart side.”

Cole gave Dell a knowing wink. Part of her wanted to leave Robbie’s body so she could talk freely to Cole. But that would only leave Robbie lost and confused as to why he was having tea in a Berkeley living room with a bunch of strangers.

“Thank you so much,” Jason said, and accepted a glass. Dell did the same and sipped the sweet tea.

“My pleasure,” Mrs. Lewis said, and sat in the matching armchair beside her husband’s. “So, you met Cole in graduate school. Are you an English professor too?”

“Of course he is, Care,” Mr. Lewis said. “And this is his graduate student who wanted to meet Cole.”

“Oh, forgive me. You did already tell us that,” Mrs. Lewis said with a sweet smile. “My memory isn’t what it used to be, but I’ve heard grief can do that sometimes.”

Mr. Lewis reached his hand into the space between their chairs, and she placed hers into it.

Cole shifted beside Dell. Chaucer had curled into a ball at his feet and was happily snoring.

“We appreciate you welcoming us into your home like this,” Jason said.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Lewis said. “The hole he left in our hearts will never be filled, but we are always glad to hear from his friends, or anyone who knew him.”

“They say no one should speak ill of the dead, but I honestly don’t think there’s anything negative anyone could say aboutCole,” Mr. Lewis said with an assured nod. “Other than perhaps he wasn’t the most skilled on skis.”

Mrs. Lewis clucked her tongue and cast him a glare.

“What?” Mr. Lewis defended with a shrug. “Cole would say the same if he was sitting here today.”

“It’s true. I am not good on skis,” Cole said to only Dell’s ears.

“I wish he hadn’t gone on that trip,” Mrs. Lewis said. “It was a—”

“Bachelor party weekend for one of my friends,” Cole said at the same time his mother did.

“If only they would have done something more traditional like a weekend in Vegas...” Mrs. Lewis said with a shake of her head.

“We can’t change the past, my love,” Mr. Lewis said.

The sight of them comforting each other made Dell think of her own parents, and how the Lewis family and the Rodgers family would surely get along.