Page 352 of My Sweet Dollie, You Have to Love Me
We’ve spent our whole lives sad.
It’s time to be happy.
These gifts might have that effect for a minute or more, but they won’t have a lasting effect. One gift is only a small thing to help with your confidence.You don’t have to wear them. You can throw them straight out if you prefer. But if you think they’ll help, then I hope they do.
And I hope you smile even if just for a second, even if it’s just over the slippers and my jealousy.
Smile, because you can’t forget who you are because of one bad thing that happened. Mom still loves you. You’ll always be Daddy’s princess.
My queen.
And I love you,
-A
A real smile tugs at my lips, and I pull my phone from my pocket. Clicking on Lucky’s name, I type a quick reply back.
Dollancie:
I love you. Want you home. <3
He’s gone. It’s just us now.
I’m about to place my phone down when it rings in my hand. I press the answer button without glancing at the screen.
“Ambrose?”
“This is a call from Carbonado Hill Memorial. Am I speaking to Ms. La’Darragh?”
A quick look at my screen shows the number is hidden.
“Yes.”
“My name is Dr. Henderson. I believe you were here with your brother earlier, following a suicide attempt.”
“That’s right. I actually thought he was the one calling, hence the name.” I giggle nervously, not wanting to say the wrong thing in case they keep him in longer for it. “Is he coming home?”
“No. I’m terribly sorry to tell you this?—”
“No, please, they don’t need to keep him,” I interrupt before the doctor can finish talking. “It won’t happen again. He knows that it was a bad?—”
“Ms. La’Darragh, I’m sorry, but your brother passed away around ten minutes ago.”
Tears fill my eyes, and so many fall as I blink in the shock of those words. The choking feeling in my throat returns. My mouth drops open, but I don’t suck in air. I don’t even breathe. I tremble, the phone moving to and from my ear.
“Ms. La’Darragh, are you there?”
My breathing picks up, too many breaths coming out in a rush. Words stammer out, “What? No? No! He was fine when I left. I left like twenty minutes ago. He was fine.”
“He was fine, but there was a clot we were unaware of.”
“No. He’s fine. HE’S FINE!” I can’t believe otherwise. “I need to speak to Ambrose. Put him on the phone. I need to speak with him now. I have to speak?—”
“Ms. La’Darragh?—”
“NO. You’re not listening to me! I need to speak to him now!”
“Unfortunately, the blood clot traveled and resulted in a heart attack.”
