Chapter 4: Front Pew

The usher at the big stone church in East Liberty held a card written in his grandfather's shaky capitals.

"FRONT PEW. NATE ON THE AISLE. RICHARD BESIDE HIM."

The usher showed it to Richard first.

Richard read it, folded it once and handed it back.

"Of course," he said, and stepped aside to let Nate go in ahead of him.

Nate sat down on the aisle with Leah's hand in his.

The coffin stood six feet in front of him under a spray of white lilies.

Behind them the church filled until people stood along the side walls.

All of Pittsburgh's money had come, and the people who wanted to be seen with it.

When Nate turned to look for the lawyer, he saw Barbara and Brett in the fourth pew from the back.

Barbara wore black and a hat with a short veil.

She came to the funerals of every important person in the city and sat wherever she could.

She was looking at the front pew.

Richard gave the eulogy.

He spoke well, without notes, about a steel family that became a banking family, and a man who never took a day off.

He spoke about his father's love of the city and his love of the bank.

He didn't mention a grandson.

Nate didn't need him to.

He looked at the coffin and thought about thirty-six letters he had sent back without opening.

He had counted the months in the motel that week.

The reception was in the church hall, with coffee urns and trays of nut roll.

Nate stood by the wall with Leah because he didn't know where else to stand.

Then people started coming to him.