The Good Mom by Cathryn Parry

She always wanted to be a doctor. Our little town was too small for her—she wanted to go and save the world instead.”
    â€œThat is so admirable,” Ashley said, struck by their obvious need to talk about their daughter, even with a stranger.
    The woman wiped away a tear, smudging her mascara a little more. “This has been hard for us. We never imagined...”
    â€œI have a son.” Ashley touched the woman’s arm. “I can’t imagine what I’d do if I lost him.”
    The woman reached for Ashley’s hand.
    â€œMay I hug you?” Ashley asked.
    Nodding, the woman hugged Ashley without speaking. A soft, motherly hug. She sniffled, and Ashley squeezed tighter. She wished she had her mom to hug sometimes. “What’s your name?” Ashley asked Fleur’s mother.
    â€œI’m Flo. This is my husband, Albert.”
    â€œAlbert, it’s nice to meet you, as well. My name is Ashley LaValley.” She held out her hand to shake it, but Albert caught Ashley up in a hug of his own.
    He was a slight, sad man with a gray, bristly beard. Ashley hadn’t grown up with a father. She counted Fleur as lucky in that respect, too.
    â€œSo, what’s happening with Dr. Lowe?” she asked carefully, looking from Flo to Albert. “Did he know you were coming today?”
    They exchanged a look. Flo gave Albert a slight nod.
    â€œWe arranged a time to come for our daughter’s things. He told us noon, and here we are, but when we came, he immediately asked us to leave.”
    â€œHe told us that he’s not ready,” Flo interjected.
    â€œOh. Dear. And you don’t want to leave?” Ashley asked, for clarification’s sake.
    â€œNo. He has been putting us off for eleven months now. First, he didn’t come home for the funeral. He stayed overseas. Now that his contract is up and he’s home, he’s been avoiding us.”
    â€œWe want to have a memorial service,” Flo added, her lips quivering again. “The funeral was rushed and private, and we were in such shock. Now that it’s been nearly a year, we want to have a service in our church, with tributes from those who knew her from her childhood as well as her professional years.”
    â€œThat’s a wonderful idea. Have you told Dr. Lowe?”
    â€œWe’ve tried to. We need his help to invite the colleagues that she was close to.”
    Ashley saw the problem. Aidan didn’t want to do it.
    â€œIt sounds lovely to me,” she said honestly. “Very healing to have a lovely tribute for your daughter’s life.”
    â€œExactly.” Flo nodded. “You understand.”
    â€œI do. So, if I’m understanding right, you want Dr. Lowe’s help with the service. And you also want to retrieve her things?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWell...if he is...ill today...perhaps the things could be sent to you later?”
    They exchanged looks again.
    â€œWe need to get inside,” Albert said. “I know it’s his condo, not hers.” His lips curled. “But there’s something inside we want to look for that we think she might have hidden.”
    â€œPerhaps if you told him...”
    â€œWe did.”
    â€œAnd he still said no?”
    â€œIt’s a family heirloom,” Flo added. “My late mother’s wedding ring. I really want it back.”
    A wedding ring? “Ah. Perhaps she had a jewelry box?”
    â€œYes, but after it happened, Mrs. Sharpe brought us Fleur’s jewelry box and the ring wasn’t there.”
    â€œYou think she might have hidden it inside the apartment?”
    â€œI do think so. She...hid things in her closet as a girl. Perhaps it’s tucked inside a box of shoes.”
    â€œWe have a right to get her things,” Albert said.
    Of course they did. What was the matter with Aidan?
    Ashley tried to imagine for a moment. Perhaps Fleur had wanted to get married. Her mother