>>20515885"Andreya. I assume you'll be departing soon, to return to America." Shameem's face took on a regretful frown. "I'm sorry, I can't take you in at the house, not with your recent..... known behavior, and proclivities. It would be against your father's wishes, and burdensome, perhaps dangerous, to your brothers as well."
That stung, even if Andreya didn't want to go home.
>"Yeah. I've gotta get back and let Robyn and LILLITH know I'm okay and what happened."Except she wasn't sure she was okay, and she still didn't know what had happened.
Andreya looks at the casket again, adorned with flowers and pictures of her father.
>"Did they say what killed him? Stroke, or something like that?"Shameem frowns. "It was his heart." She pauses, as if wrestling with some uncomfortable truth. "He was seventy-two years old, Andreya, and..... I will be blunt: I suspect that seeing you, injured under mysterious circumstances in yet another no doubt drug-fueled misadventure, caused him great distress. It," she pauses, struggling for a moment, "is upsetting to me that most of the contact he ever had from you was being notified, often by the authorities, when you were in some fresh trouble, entirely of your own making. Never an offer from you to make restitution or offer something to give back to this family. And yes, I was an interloper who came along only later: I know this. I was fortunate enough to share Alfred's love and brilliance after the TRUE love of his life, your mother, died to bring you into this world and give you life." She frowns again. "He would have liked to see you do more with it."
She gestures at Andreya, and her face tightens. "He TRIED, Andreya. We both tried."
Andreya tries to say something, but she has nothing to say. Her tongue is lead. She can't speak, can't even swallow.
