She put down the phone slowly, stared at its ominous presence which had brought so much bad news into their life, then turned to face her husband, who had emerged from their living room and was waiting expectantly. She was about to break his heart and she wasn't entirely sure she was ready.
Her daughters played on regardless, their laughter ringing through the walls of their family home. Tears rolled silently from her eyes, unbidden as she wasn't yet feeling anything but numb.
He watched as tears spoiled her perfect skin, like scars, rolling out over her cheeks, and feared the worst. Whatever the worst was, he knew it had to be pretty awful to upset her the way it had.
"What is it?"
He asked, aware of the pain in the silence but unable to define it.
"That was Elizabeth,"
She paused, knowing her voice would break and give away her fragility if she carried on. He waited, almost sure he knew but needing to hear it said aloud.
"Mark died yesterday,"
She said as firmly and calmly as she could manage when all inside her was falling apart. His face fell and he broke eye contact, unwilling to burden himself with her grief on top of his own breaking heart.
"The tumour?"
He asked gently. What else could it have been? They had known his cancer had recurred, but they hadn't known he would be strong enough, or stupid enough, to forgo treatment. She nodded.
"It was a peaceful end, she said, not protracted, he went without a struggle,"
"That doesn't sound like Mark,"
He quipped, but it felt wrong. It all felt wrong.
"How's she bearing up?"
"As well as can be expected, I guess, in the circumstances,"
With that, they both fell silent, neither sure there was anything left to say. Their moment was shattered by an almost unearthly scream.
He turned in an instant and shot back to his daughters, fearing the worst for the second time that day. She followed him, heart heavy with sorrow and filled with dread.
So it was she missed her best friend's funeral, but it was her role as mother which forced her into it. They took shifts by Tess's bedside, talking to her, all the time willing her to open those beautiful brown eyes of hers.
A moment of distraction, her heart full of pain, and a week in hospital. She hoped Mark (and Elizabeth) would know why she didn't get on the flight as she intended.
It broke her heart not to be there, but it would have broken it more comprehensively to leave her sick toddler alone. One day she'd visit him, and she would take Tess and Kate and show them the grave of the greatest man she'd ever know.
Her daughters played on regardless, their laughter ringing through the walls of their family home. Tears rolled silently from her eyes, unbidden as she wasn't yet feeling anything but numb.
He watched as tears spoiled her perfect skin, like scars, rolling out over her cheeks, and feared the worst. Whatever the worst was, he knew it had to be pretty awful to upset her the way it had.
"What is it?"
He asked, aware of the pain in the silence but unable to define it.
"That was Elizabeth,"
She paused, knowing her voice would break and give away her fragility if she carried on. He waited, almost sure he knew but needing to hear it said aloud.
"Mark died yesterday,"
She said as firmly and calmly as she could manage when all inside her was falling apart. His face fell and he broke eye contact, unwilling to burden himself with her grief on top of his own breaking heart.
"The tumour?"
He asked gently. What else could it have been? They had known his cancer had recurred, but they hadn't known he would be strong enough, or stupid enough, to forgo treatment. She nodded.
"It was a peaceful end, she said, not protracted, he went without a struggle,"
"That doesn't sound like Mark,"
He quipped, but it felt wrong. It all felt wrong.
"How's she bearing up?"
"As well as can be expected, I guess, in the circumstances,"
With that, they both fell silent, neither sure there was anything left to say. Their moment was shattered by an almost unearthly scream.
He turned in an instant and shot back to his daughters, fearing the worst for the second time that day. She followed him, heart heavy with sorrow and filled with dread.
So it was she missed her best friend's funeral, but it was her role as mother which forced her into it. They took shifts by Tess's bedside, talking to her, all the time willing her to open those beautiful brown eyes of hers.
A moment of distraction, her heart full of pain, and a week in hospital. She hoped Mark (and Elizabeth) would know why she didn't get on the flight as she intended.
It broke her heart not to be there, but it would have broken it more comprehensively to leave her sick toddler alone. One day she'd visit him, and she would take Tess and Kate and show them the grave of the greatest man she'd ever know.