Free The Perfect Marriage by Kimberla Lawson Roby

so quickly. Not just Dixon’s death but everything leading up to it. Dixon had left Derrek a message, Derrek
     had called him back shortly thereafter, Derrek, Denise, and Mackenzie had gone over to the hospital, and now Dixon was gone.
     Not more than a few hours had passed from beginning to end, yet none of this seemed real. Certainly not to Derrek, of course,
     but Denise still couldn’t fathom any of what had happened either: her brother-in-law had passed before turning forty. The
     loss of a loved one was never easy, but as Denise observed her husband from across the room, she could tell he was in a daze.
     She doubted he could hear any of what was being said, even though the house was pretty full, because all he did was stare
     into space.
    Once the funeral home had picked up the body, Denise had insisted that Sam and Nina come back to their house, and Denise’s
     parents had driven over, as well. Michelle was there also. They’d even ordered takeout from Derrek’s favorite Mexican restaurant,
     although with the exception of Mackenzie and Denise’s parents, no one had eaten very much. Derrek had never so much as gone
     into the kitchen, and Denise wondered what she could say or do to help him. She’d tried talking to him and consoling him the
     best way she knew how, but so far nothing was working.
    Sam rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. He sat between Nina and Michelle on the sofa in the family
     room. “Gosh…I can’t believe my best friend is gone. He’s really, really gone.”
    Nina looked at him with tears streaming down her face but didn’t say anything. Everyone else got quiet, too.
    Denise wasn’t sure what to say either, so she walked over to Derrek. “Honey, why don’t you let me fix you something to eat?
     You haven’t had a thing for hours.”
    Derrek shook his head, no, but never looked at her.
    “What about something to drink?”
    He shook his head again but barely.
    He was deeply hurt, and Denise hated seeing him like this. He was in pretty bad shape, and she wasn’t sure what it would take
     to lift his spirits. She knew the old phrase, “time heals all wounds,” was true to a certain extent, but she wondered how
     much time it would in fact take for Derrek to accept the loss of his brother. More than that, she wondered how long it would
     take for him to forgive himself for not speaking to Dixon for years.
    Wilma, Denise’s mother, who had the looks and class of the amazing Nancy Wilson, stood up. “Denise, honey, do you want me
     to put the food away for you?”
    “That would be great, Mom.”
    Mackenzie pushed herself up from the ottoman she was sitting on. “I’ll help you, Granny.”
    “Me, too, Mom,” Michelle said. Michelle had called Wilma Mom almost the entire time she’d been best friends with Denise. She
     looked as fabulous as always; her hair was cut short with not a strand out of place and her clothes fit her toned body perfectly.
    Wilma smiled. “Good. I’ll take all the help I can get.”
    “Is there anything I can do?” Charles asked his daughter. Denise’s father was every bit of six-foot-three, and Denise didn’t
     know of anyone who had a younger, finer looking dad in his sixties than she did.
    “No, Daddy, but thanks.”
    “What about you, son?” he said to Derrek.
    Charles waited for Derrek to respond, but all he did was nod his head and burst into tears.
    Nina sniffled a couple of times herself and got to her feet. “Denise, can I speak to you privately?”
    “Of course. Let’s go in the study.”
    Nina followed her and as soon as they walked inside a room filled with three walls of built-in bookcases, Denise shut the
     door.
    Nina stood silently for a few seconds, then began to weep again. Denise hugged her but wondered what was wrong. There was
     no question she was suffering a tremendous loss, but she seemed to be upset about something else, too.
    “I know it hurts, but in time you’ll start to feel better,”