Chapter Ninety-Eight
The Will – Part Two
The country house. One week after the reading of the will. Afternoon.
Mr. Ashworth returned.
He carried a leather satchel, worn and heavy, and a look on his face that suggested he had more to say.
"There's more?" Lilith asked.
"There's always more with Katerina."
He sat at the kitchen table.
The family gathered around—Lilith and David, Marcus and Eleanor, the younger Katerina and Sam, Maya, Delia and Morrison, Priya and Cole, Irene and Patel, Lena and Maria. All of them. All of her family.
"The first will was the formal one," Mr. Ashworth said. "The one she wrote with me. The one that followed the rules. This..."
He pulled out a bundle of letters.
Tied with a red ribbon.
Yellowed. Worn. Ancient.
"This is the one she wrote herself. In her own hand. In her own voice."
"She asked me to wait a week before delivering it. She said you would need time to grieve before you could laugh."
"Are you ready?"
"Yes," the younger Katerina said.
"Then let's begin."
---
The first letter – To Lilith.
Mr. Ashworth opened the first letter.
"Lilith," he read. "My first. My greatest. My mistake. If you're reading this, you've stopped crying. Good. Crying is important, but so is laughter."
"I know you think you're too old to learn new things. You're not. You're never too old. You're never too hungry. You're never too broken."
"So here's something new: I forgive you. For hating me. For resenting me. For wishing I had never made you."
"I forgive you. And I need you to forgive yourself."
"Now. Go prune the roses. You're still doing it wrong."
Lilith laughed.
Tears streamed down her face.
"She would," she said.
"She did," Mr. Ashworth said.
---
The second letter – To the younger Katerina.
"My daughter," Mr. Ashworth read. "Not by blood. By hunger. By pain. By love. If you're reading this, you've stopped being angry. Good. Anger is important, but so is forgiveness."
"I know you think you're broken. You're not. You're mended. The cracks are still there, but they're filled with something stronger than before."
"Love. Sam's love. Lilith's love. My love."
"So here's something new: I'm proud of you. For surviving. For changing. For becoming someone I never could."
"Now. Go kiss Sam. She's been waiting."
The younger Katerina turned to Sam.
Kissed her.
Everyone laughed.
"She would," the younger Katerina said.
"She did," Mr. Ashworth said.
---
The third letter – To Marcus and Eleanor.
"Marcus and Eleanor," Mr. Ashworth read. "The ones who survived. The ones who chose each other. If you're reading this, you've stopped being afraid. Good. Fear is important, but so is courage."
"I know you think you're not enough for each other. You are. You're more than enough. You're everything."
"So here's something new: I stole something from you. A photograph. The one from your wedding. I kept it in my room. I looked at it when I was lonely."
"I'm giving it back. Put it on your mantle. Remember that love is possible. Even for people like us."
Marcus and Eleanor looked at each other.
"She stole our wedding photo?"
"She did."
"For years?"
"For years."
"I'm not sure whether to be angry or touched."
"Both," Eleanor said. "Both is good."
---
The fourth letter – To David.
"David," Mr. Ashworth read. "The man who saw her. The man who stayed. If you're reading this, you've stopped worrying. Good. Worry is important, but so is trust."
"I know you think you're not worthy of her. You are. You're more than worthy. You're the best thing that ever happened to her."
"So here's something new: I left something for you in the cottage. Under the floorboards. In the bedroom. Go find it."
David looked at Lilith.
"What is it?"
"I don't know. But I think you should go look."
They stood.
Walked to the cottage.
---
The cottage – The bedroom.
David knelt on the floor.
The floorboards were old. Loose. He pried one up with his fingers.
Beneath it, a small box.
Wooden. Carved. Ancient.
He opened it.
Inside, a ring.
Gold. Simple. Engraved with words.
"To David. Thank you for loving her. Now take care of her. Forever."
David wept.
Lilith held him.
"She would," she said.
"She did."
---
The fifth letter – To Sam.
"Sam," Mr. Ashworth read. "The one who loved her. The one who saw her. If you're reading this, you've stopped doubting. Good. Doubt is important, but so is faith."
"I know you think you didn't have enough time with her. You did. You had enough. Enough to love. Enough to change. Enough to remember."
"So here's something new: I left you something in the bookstore. Behind the counter. In the drawer where you keep the receipts."
"Go find it."
Sam walked to the bookstore.
The younger Katerina went with her.
---
The bookstore – The counter.
Sam opened the drawer.
Beneath the receipts, a photograph.
The original Katerina. Young. Before the hunger. Before the hunt. Before the scars.
She was smiling.
On the back, in elegant handwriting:
"This is who I was before. This is who I became. This is who I loved. Thank you for loving her too."
Sam wept.
The younger Katerina held her.
"She would," the younger Katerina said.
"She did."
---
The sixth letter – To Maya.
"Maya," Mr. Ashworth read. "The youngest. The one who carries the hunger. If you're reading this, you've stopped being scared. Good. Fear is important, but so is hope."
"I know you think you're going to become a monster. You're not. You're going to become a woman. A woman who chooses. A woman who loves. A woman who lives."
"So here's something new: I left you something in the garden. Under the rose bush. The one you helped me plant."
"Go find it."
Maya walked to the garden.
Her parents followed.
---
The garden – The rose bush.
Maya knelt in the dirt.
Her hands trembled. Her eyes were wet.
She dug.
Beneath the roots, a small box.
Wooden. Painted. Bright.
She opened it.
Inside, a necklace.
Silver. Delicate. A small charm in the shape of a rose.
"For Maya. May you always bloom."
Maya wept.
Marcus and Eleanor held her.
"She would," Marcus said.
"She did."
---
The final letter – To everyone.
"To everyone," Mr. Ashworth read. "The ones I hurt. The ones I loved. The ones I forgot. If you're reading this, you've stopped grieving. Good. Grief is important, but so is joy."
"I know you think I'm gone. I'm not. I'm in the garden. In the cottage. In the way you hold each other when you think no one is watching."
"I'm in the roses. In the lavender. In the honeysuckle."
"So here's something new: I'm not hungry anymore. I'm full. Full of love. Full of forgiveness. Full of peace."
"Thank you. For everything. For seeing me. For staying. For loving me."
"I love you. I love you. I love you."
"Goodbye."
---
The garden – Evening.
They gathered among the flowers.
The roses were blooming. The lavender was fragrant. The honeysuckle was climbing the trellis.
Lilith held David's hand.
The younger Katerina held Sam's hand.
Marcus held Eleanor's hand.
Maya held her parents' hands.
All of them. All of her family.
"She would have loved this," Lilith said.
"She would have hated it," the younger Katerina said. "Too many people. Too many feelings."
"She would have pretended to hate it. But she would have loved it."
"Yes. She would have."
They stood in silence.
The sun set.
The stars came out.
And the original Katerina—the first hunger, the mother of monsters, the woman who had started everything—was remembered.
Not with tears.
With love.
---
End of Chapter Ninety-Eight