Broken Series by Dawn Pendleton

He was important to me. Ugh. I didn’t want to think about Luke. I needed to focus on Dad.
    “I guess,” I said as I dried my tears.
    Rainey was doing the same and we both looked ridiculous. I don’t know who started laughing first, but within seconds, we were both in stitches. Gabby walked in and found us like that, still laughing at ourselves.
    “What’s so funny?” she asked, hands on her hips like a mother hen.
    Her presence only fueled our insanity and Rainey and I laughed harder. Gabby was patient and eventually we quieted down.
    “What are you doing here, Gabby?” Rainey asked.
    “Baker asked me to keep an eye on you two tonight. So it’s a slumber party!” she announced. She seemed way more enthused about a slumber party than any other twenty-one year old I knew. Then I remembered Gabby had been on her own the last few years since I never visited, and Rainey only came back to town when her mother nagged her.
    “Sweet. Do we get to stay up late and eat candy and wear pajamas and play truth or dare?” Rainey was already on board.
    “It’ll have to be after my dad goes to sleep for the night. You guys want to hit up the grocery store for goodies?” I asked. I wanted to have a little time with my dad, whenever he woke up.
    “Sure! You going to be okay here?” Gabby asked.
    “Oh yeah. I can handle Dad,” I said.
    The truth was, I wasn’t so sure, but I needed to be able to do it by myself. Even with a home nurse coming for a visit every day, I would still be doing quite a bit for him.
    “Okay, let’s go!” Rainey exclaimed.
    The two of them were out of the house before I could blink. My tears and fears were forgotten and I figured it was better that way. I didn’t always want to have to lean on someone. I had to do it alone.
    “Are they gone?” Dad yelled from his bedroom after the front door closed.
    I smiled and headed back to his room. “Yes, Dad, they’re gone. But I have bad news: they’re coming back,” I said.
    He groaned. “I guess I will have to deal with it, just like when you were a kid.” He smiled at me as I sat down on the edge of his bed. “You were always so independent, Mallory, I forget sometimes that you need friends. I wish we had more time together.” His eyes became wistful.
    “Don’t talk like that, Dad. You aren’t dead yet. You could still beat this cancer,” I said. I knew I shouldn’t give him false hope, but I was the one who needed to hear it. I didn’t want to talk about his impending death.
    “We have to talk about it, Mallory. Whether it happens today or three months from now, I want you to know you’re taken care of. Can you get me the file on my dresser, please?” he asked.
    I brought it to him and then helped him sit up so he could talk and look through it. I had to have this conversation with him. I might not be ready, but he was. Which meant I had to keep my mouth shut. Dad organized a few of the papers while I pulled a chair closer to his bed and propped my feet up on the edge of the bed.
    “First things first. I have a life insurance plan, and it will cover all the costs of the funeral. I want to be cremated and I already purchased a stone and a plot at the cemetery. Once I’m ashes, I expect you to spread me out across the state. I want to spend eternity in Maine. I love this place.” He paused and it broke my heart. He regained his composure and continued.
    “The life insurance is enough for you to do whatever you want. Even after taxes and funeral costs, you should get at least two hundred thousand.”
    “Dad! That’s too much.” I groaned. I never worried about money, but that was an insane amount.
    “Well, I do have some requirements for what you’re to do with it. I want some donated to various charities in town. I have a list, so I won’t go over them now. I would also like to leave ten thousand dollars to Luke.”
    “Luke? Why?”
    “He’s been like a son to me all these years. I know you two split up, but he kept your