No Second Chances Ex-husband novel Chapter 51

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LAUREN'S POV

“I know she deserves more, but at this point, we just have to.” Tessa’s voice was soft but carried a firmness I had heard before. Usually when she had already made up her mind about something.

I shook my head slowly, taking a deliberate step back as if putting physical space between her words and my heart would make them less true. “No,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper at first before it gained strength. “Elena will be buried here.”

Her brows furrowed. “How?” Tessa asked, a mix of confusion and concern painting her face. She knew the question was more than about logistics, it was about the impossible.

And the worst part was… I didn’t know how. I had no answers, no miracle tucked away in my back pocket, just this gaping wound in my chest and the weight of my little girl’s absence pressing down on me until I could barely breathe. My hand rose to my face, fingers digging into my skin as if pressing hard enough could stop the tears from coming. Frustration bubbled up, raw and unfiltered, until I let out a small, strangled scream into my palm.

“What I have in my savings is about twenty-two hundred dollars,” Tessa continued cautiously, like she was stepping barefoot across glass, unsure which words might shatter me further. “But… I know a good cemetery where we can perform a proper ceremony and bury her for just twelve hundred.”

My head lifted from my palm, my eyes locking on hers when I heard that. “And how’s the environment of this place?” My tone was sharp, not because I was angry with her, but because the idea alone felt like a betrayal to Elena’s memory. “I’m not taking my daughter’s body to some rundown neighborhood cemetery.”

Her head shook immediately. “Even I don’t want that for her,” Tessa said firmly. “The place is… It’s okay. It’s not as classy or high profile as this one, but it’s peaceful. It’s still better than leaving her in a morgue, or God forbid a cemetery where the grass is dead and the headstones are cracked. I can assure you of that.”

Her words sank in slowly, each one heavy. She was right every point she made was sound, logical, and even compassionate but logic had no place in my heart right now. My mind understood the practicality. My heart… refused. I wanted Elena to have the best, the very best, as if a beautiful resting place could somehow make up for all the years she’d never get to live.

I could feel my shoulders trembling, my hands balled into fists at my sides. With quiet, broken sobs, I finally gave her a slow nod. It wasn’t agreement so much as surrender. I was on board with her plan… but only because there was no other choice.

“Alright,” Tessa murmured, relief evident in her voice. “I’ll go inform the manager.” She touched my arm gently before walking away, her figure shrinking as she crossed the small distance to the office at the far end

I stayed rooted to the spot, unable to move, unwilling to speak My throat felt tight, as if any word that escaped me might split me open entirely.

My gaze drifted, drawn like a magnet to the polished casket that held my baby girl. It sat on the ground, a small four on it, still and silent, yet it felt like it was calling to me. I could almost imagine a faint hum, like a whisper on the edge of hearing, pulling me forward one hesitant step at a time.

Each step echoed softly against the floor until I stood beside it. My breath caught as I took in every detail, the shine of the wood, the soft satin lining peeking from the edge

My hand trembled as I reached out, letting my fingers rest gently on the smooth surface. The wood was cool beneath my skin, and the stillness of it made my chest ache. Tears blurred my vision until the whole world shimmered like glass about to break.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice cracking as it fell apart under the weight of my grief. My tears slipped free, rolling down my cheeks in steady streams. My words weren’t enough

“I already miss you so much, sweetheart,” I whispered, my voice trembling as it escaped my lips. “And it pains my heart every second that I still haven’t found out who did this to you… and why they did it.”

I managed to say, my throat tightening with every syllable. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to block out the world, live in this moment with her. My palm rested gently against the casket, and I tried to imagine it was her hand I was holding instead.