"I didn't expect Jennifer to go through all this. I'm sorry it took me so long to visit," Matt said, smiling as he held a beautifully arranged fruit basket in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other.

"It's okay; we understand. After what happened to Jennifer, even our relatives hesitated to come by," my mother replied, taking the fruit basket with an empathetic smile.

It was clear my mother was pleased with Matt; her smile never left her face, even as she headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

In the living room, the two of them expressed their sorrow over my death. Jennifer had red, puffy...