Knockemout, #3
Things We Left Behind
by Lucy Score
Contents
1
Overview
On the day of Simon Walton’s funeral, Sloane navigates crushing grief with her family and friends. A sudden longing for motherhood collides with the reappearance of her complicated past: Lucian Rollins. Karen hints Lucian aided their family recently. Outside, Lucian brusquely cares for Sloane and ensures she eats, deepening unresolved tension.
Summary
Sloane sits on her porch with her mother Karen and sister Maeve before Simon Walton’s funeral, trading dark humor and drinks to brace for the day. Chloe arrives in bold funeral fashion, and the family leans on tradition and resolve to honor Simon.
At the visitation, Sloane greets mourners and struggles with the permanence of loss. Holding cousin Nessa’s baby sparks an unexpected urgency for motherhood. Friends Naomi, Knox, Lina, and Nash offer support. Grief threatens to overwhelm Sloane, but she deflects with humor and composure.
Lucian Rollins enters, commanding attention. Karen embraces him and tearfully thanks him for something he did for Simon and the family, while Lucian insists he is the one indebted. The exchange unsettles Sloane, hinting at recent, hidden ties between Lucian and her parents.
At Karen’s urging, Lucian escorts Sloane outside. He drapes his coat over her shoulders and pointedly asks if she has eaten. When Sloane cracks, lamenting there will be no new memories of her father, Lucian offers a handkerchief and bluntly tells her to prioritize supporting Karen, provoking Sloane’s anger but steadying her focus.
Lucian has diner manager Bean deliver food and orders Sloane to eat, revealing he knows her favorite breakfast burrito. He returns inside, leaving Sloane conflicted by his care and their charged history, and by Karen’s mysterious gratitude toward him.
Who Appears
- Sloane WaltonNarrator grieving her father; wrestles with vulnerability, sudden desire for motherhood, and intense, conflicted tension with Lucian.
- Lucian RollinsWealthy, brooding neighbor; mysteriously helped Sloane’s family; brusquely cares for Sloane, orders her food, and provokes her.
- Karen WaltonSloane’s mother; determined to honor Simon; warmly thanks Lucian for recent help; tries to keep family steady.
- Maeve WaltonSloane’s sister; tired but supportive, co-hosting family; drinks with Sloane and Karen to get through the day.
- ChloeMaeve’s fashion-forward daughter; lightens the mood with bold outfit and youthful energy.
- Simon WaltonDeceased father; beloved community figure whose funeral gathers friends and family; central to Sloane’s grief.
- Naomi MorganFriend and colleague; offers heartfelt support and insists Sloane take time off from the library.
- Knox MorganNaomi’s partner; gruffly supportive, offers comfort to Sloane at the visitation.
- Nash MorganChief of police and friend; protective presence, recalls Simon’s help with Lucian, offers support.
- Alina “Lina”Nash’s fiancée; edgy and caring, awkwardly hugs Sloane and checks on post-funeral plans.
- NessaSloane’s cousin; brings her young children; her baby triggers Sloane’s longing for motherhood.
- Mrs. TweedyElderly gym-goer; checks on Sloane, urges exercise for grief, inadvertently prompts Lucian’s intervention.
- Bean TaylorDiner manager; delivers Lucian’s food order, enabling Sloane to finally eat.
- Lady Mildred Meowington (Milly Meow Meow)Sloane’s grumpy cat; briefly appears, adding domestic, wry levity.