Make It Right by Shannon Flagg Page B

if she had been drunk that she'd have busted her ass and would have required the boost. “Can we stop for burgers or something? I'm starving. And not McDonald's. I'd like to eat actual cow tonight.”
     
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    Rock was good company but Amelia was glad when she was finally alone in Danny's bedroom. He was in the living room, watching television and keeping guard. Maybe she did feel a little safer with him there, or maybe the feeling of being safe came from the fact that Danny's scent was all over the place.
    Amelia showered and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a shirt she'd found in the clean laundry pile. Both were too big on her, but they were comfortable. She tied her hair up into a knot without bothering to brush it out and lifted the messenger bag she'd taken from Fiona's room onto the bed.
    It was filled with every document and file possible; it was where she'd found Fiona's will and a just-in-case letter. Amelia hadn't been able to bring herself to read the letter, but there was no time like the present. She sat down on the bed, got comfortable and opened the envelope. The paper inside was lilac colored and thick. Fiona had always enjoyed writing actual letters.
     
    If you're reading this, the worst has happened and I'm gone. First things first, take care of Taylor. I can't even imagine how hard it's going to be for the both of you but she needs you. And you need her. I worry about you Amelia, I worry about you being all alone when you don't have to be. I get why you left, really I do. I know that what I'm about to ask is hard but I want you stay in Detroit with Taylor. I want her to grow up in our house. I want her to grow up near her father. It's important to me that she continue to have her relationship with Royal. It might not be traditional but it works for them. She loves him. She'll need him. You can trust Royal. He'll help you.
    I can only imagine the way that you're rolling your eyes at the paper, probably cursing me or calling me stupid. I'm sorry. I really am. I don't know what happened to get us here (obviously, I'm not psychic) but trust me, I'd rather be there.
    This is all pretty morbid, sitting here and thinking about you reading this after I'm gone makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time. I'll take advantage of the fact that you can't kill me and bring up Danny. KEEP READING!! What he did was shitty. Beyond shitty but I really believe that he's sorry for it. He didn't do it on a whim. Royal told me why he did. You should ask him. If you ask, he'll tell you the truth. Just talk to him, okay?
    I love you. I really love you and I've missed you. I know that you're going to miss me. I know that Taylor will too. I wish I had a magic answer for you as to how to get through this but I don't. Just trust your gut.
     
    Amelia folded the paper carefully, placed it back in the envelope and then back into the bag. She pulled out a folder at random, just to keep her brain from thinking too much about the letter. It had only been written six months before. Had Fiona had a sense of her own impending doom?
    It took several moments for Amelia to realize what she was looking at. She'd thumbed through the papers in the folder without even seeing them, but then she realized they were tax returns. Tax returns that listed Fiona as having two jobs. One of which was Davenport Development, Royal's company. She listed her title as consultant. Further investigation showed that Fiona had a 401K account with a sizable sum in it as well as health insurance for both her and Taylor. Amelia was paying complete attention now. She spread the papers out in piles. Royal had been paying Fiona nearly thirty thousand dollars since they'd started seeing one another.
    Her head was spinning, but she kept going through the folder. There was an envelope at the very back, folded inside was a life insurance policy on Fiona which hadn't been mentioned in the will, but it was there, staring her in the face with Royal's legal name