Page 53 of Sing it, Sam

I stand and clutch at my chest. “That’s terrible.”

“Her sons are coming back tomorrow to break the news to her. I’ll have Paige give her a sedative tonight to help her get some rest. I’m told she hasn’t been sleeping as it is, and they’d like her to try and get a full night’s sleep before they have to give her the news and start making funeral arrangements.”

I sniff and tell myself to be strong. I can’t melt every time something like this happens. “If there’s anything I can do, please just ask,” I plead, straightening my spine.

“Thank you, Jane.”

“I’ll give her some time before I go see her.” The next week is likely to be the hardest of her life. I don’t want to complicate that by talking to her about things that will be the furthest from her mind.

“Yes. I think that’d be best.” Kathleen lets out a heavy sigh and rises from my chair. “It always comes in clusters of threes, you know? I hate to think who’s next.”

An empty feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. It’s just another reminder of how short life is. How fragile and fleeting it can be.

I may have only spoken a few words to Mrs Lee, and never met her husband, but that doesn’t mean what’s happened doesn’t affect me.

It does.

So very, very much.

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