“Mav…” Kyle grabbed his shoulders, holding him up as Alex fell forward with a groan.
“No, no, Ava can’t be dead. No.” Alex’s lower lip trembled.
“Sorry, Mav. It was a shock to us all when that plane exploded.”
Nausea swept through him as he faced the unthinkable.
“I’m so sorry, buddy. I think you should get back into bed, let your mind clear a little.”
Alex shook his head. “I’m not so sure I want my mind to clear.”
Kyle offered him a consoling half-smile. “I know. It’s…I’m upset, I can’t imagine what this must feel like for you.”
Another knock sounded, and Julia stuck her head inside. “Hey, Alex. You’re awake.”
“Yeah,” he answered, scrubbing his face.
“Great,” Julia answered, plastering on what looked like a fake smile as she entered with a tray. “I’ve got some breakfast for you.”
“I don’t want it,” Alex groaned.
“You need to eat, Mav,” Kyle said. “Try a little food. It’ll help clear your head.”
Julia set the tray on the bed, easing onto the edge and reaching for Alex’s hand. “Alex, try to eat a little. I know this is hard. We’re all reeling, but you have to take care of yourself.”
Alex dropped his head into his hands. Did he want to be here without Ava? He wasn’t certain he could take it.
He’d spent his entire life hoping to build a life with her,and weeks after he finally had achieved that she’d been ripped away from him.
“Oh, Ava,” he said with a sob.
Julia shifted closer to him, rubbing his shoulder. “That’s it, Alex. Let it out.”
He had no idea how long he sat there, sobbing, dumbstruck, unable to function before Julia finally shifted again and pushed the food toward him. “Try to eat.”
Her eyelashes fluttered as he shook his head. “Alex, Ava wouldn’t want this for you. She’d want you to take care of yourself.”
He couldn’t find an answer to that. Would Ava care?
His mind searched for meaning in the meaningless happening. He wondered if she’d known. Had the plane experienced trouble? Had there been warning? Had she felt pain?
With a lick of his lips, he bit into the now-lukewarm eggs, struggling to swallow them.
As the food hit his stomach, another wave of sickness hit him, but his mind started to clear. Details of the previous night flooded his mind, making him feel worse with each passing second.
A sip of the orange juice nearly sent him hurling up the food he’d consumed, but he managed to hold it down.
When he’d finished all he could eat, he shoved the tray away. Julia offered him a slight smile. “So, we heard from the DHS earlier this morning. They confirmed again that Ava was on the flight. They passed along their condolences.”
Alex slid his eyes closed, numb from the shock and sadness that coursed through him.
“Umm…” Julia paused, licking her lips before she winced again. “They said…Oh, Alex, I’m so sorry. They told us that you could move forward with a funeral or memorial service because there were no remains to recover.”
His features twisted as he began to sob again.
Julia rubbed his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Alex. Grant and I can make arrangements, if you’d like…”
“No,” he answered. “Not yet, just…no.”
