Chapter 23T
he roar and thump of the surf, Rita imagines, sounds like the voice of God: powerful, glorious, never-ending. She’s been sitting on this bench on the deserted Coney Island boardwalk ever since Matt dropped her off hours ago. He wanted to stand by her and then take her with him to visit his friend Nate, but she can’t allow herself to accept the respite of his comfort, his care. There’s nothing she can give him in return.
She clutches the box of ashes, wishing she could place her uncle in the same Brooklyn cemetery where her parents are buried, to have her family gathered together, even in death; however, she couldn’t bring herself to betray his final wish, even though the Church forbids the scattering of ashes. Will the sin be his or hers? It doesn’t matter. There’s no turning
