Chapter 23: Cousin Valentina

Three days later, Lulu stepped out of the cab and onto the pavement in front of the funeral home, a modest, white-stone building with arched windows and dark wooden doors.

A soft golden glow emanated from within, the kind meant to soothe grieving hearts, but to Lulu, it only heightened her nerves.

She adjusted the strap of her bag and took a steadying breath. This was it. She had successfully talked her way into this moment, but now came the real test—delivering Amelia's final words while standing in front of her family and friends.

Before she could dwell on the weight of that responsibility, a voice called out. "You must be Lulu."

Lulu turned to see Valentina, Amelia's cousin, standing near the entrance.

Valentina was in her late twenties, with warm brown skin, sharp features, and piercing dark eyes, and despite the sombre occasion, she carried herself with an unshakable confidence.

Her dark hair was pulled back into an elegant bun, and even with subtle makeup, she was extremely beautiful.

She studied Lulu carefully, her lips pressed into a thin line. "So, you're the one Amelia arranged all of this with?"

Two days ago, Lulu had contacted Valentina under the direction of Amelia.

Making up a fake business in which Lulu provided an after-death service in which one could leave words behind they couldn't say in life, Lulu was able to get an invitation to the closed funeral.

Of course, she also had to email 'proof' that this agreement with Amelia actually existed. Lulu came up with a variety of forged documents, complete with payment receipts and a contract that 'Amelia' had supposedly signed before her passing.

It had taken nearly a full day before Valentina confirmed that Lulu could come—a day in which Lulu and Amelia (mostly Amelia) had been filled with worry.

If there was one person who might have seen through this ruse, it was probably Valentina. Amelia had vouched for her cousin's sharp instincts. But eventually the formal invitation with the date and time appeared in Lulu's inbox.

"A service you could only use after death. And an expensive one at that…I don't know why I'm surprised. This is exactly the kind of ridiculous thing she'd do," she muttered, shaking her head.

Lulu tried not to let her nerves show too obviously on her face. Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small USB stick, placing it in Valentina's hand. "This contains the PowerPoint Amelia wanted presented. She was… very specific about it."

Valentina arched a brow. "A PowerPoint?"

Lulu hesitated. "She had a lot she wanted to say and didn't feel like a speech would be enough. And since pictures convey a thousand words…"

Valentina let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, that tracks." Her expression softened, just a fraction. "Amelia talked about me?"

Lulu nodded. "You were one of the only people she actually liked."

Something flickered across Valentina's face—grief, gratitude, something in between. She nodded once and gestured toward the doors. "Come on in. You'll be sitting up front."

Lulu swallowed hard and followed her inside. The scent of fresh flowers filled the air—white lilies and roses, arranged in tall vases along the walls. A portrait of Amelia sat at the front of the room, surrounded by flickering candles. The atmosphere was heavy, thick with quiet murmurs and the occasional sniffle from the gathered mourners.

Lulu took her seat, gripping her bag tightly. Somewhere to her right, Amelia hovered unseen, watching the scene with a smirk.

"Oh look! There's my Aunt Mariella. It's only 9 am! Figures she'd already be drunk!"

'Oh god…' Lulu couldn't help but worry about what kind of funeral she was walking into.