That evening, we went down to the Safeway to get stuff for dinner. Upon our return back to the motel, Mom’s cell phone rang as the three of us walked up the stairs to our room. Auntie and I impatiently watched for cues of good news from the other end of the line.
Mom started to tear up, and I knew what had happened. I couldn’t wait for her to get off the phone so that I could hear her say it. “Hurry up,” I pleaded to myself. “I want to hear her say it.” Mom hung up the phone and said, “Bill died this morning.”
All three of us sat and looked at each other in disbelief. The whole point of this trip was to go visit them before one of them died. And here we were, halfway there, and one of them had died. After all this time!
Mom had asked Sally if we should come anyway – perhaps there were things we could help with around the house while funeral preparations were being made. But no, sadly, we were informed our help would not be needed.
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