His brow furrowed. “No. They didn’t mention anything.”
Coldness slid into my chest.
“That’s strange,” I said carefully.
Jenny did not forget things like that. My best friend was too much of a control freak to be forgetful.
Before I could say more, Bill’s phone rang.
He excused himself, disappearing through the open door.
Emma turned to me, smiling gently. “How’s Lily doing in school?”
“She’s wonderful,” I said honestly. “Thoughtful and curious. She notices when other kids are upset and even tries to help.”
Emma’s smile widened with pride.
We watched Lily in the yard, chasing a butterfly with complete focus, her laughter ringing out clear and bright.
Bill came back outside.
The phone was still in his hand.
His face was gray.
He didn’t speak at first. He lowered himself into the rocking chair like his legs had stopped working. His shoulders slumped forward, the weight of something unseen pressing him down.
Emma stood abruptly. “Bill? What is it?”
He looked at her, and the expression in his eyes sent a chill straight through me. I had never seen him look like that.
“What’s wrong?” Emma asked, her voice rising. “Who was that? Was it Ethan?”
The sound of Ethan’s name froze me where I stood. Every muscle locked.
Bill shook his head slowly.
For a split second, I felt something unexpected. Gratitude. Sharp and guilty. Thankfulness that whatever had happened did not involve him.
Then Bill spoke.
“It was Matt,” he said, his voice breaking. “And Jenny.”
The world tilted.
“They were in an accident,” he continued, the words thick, as if each one cost him effort. “A pileup. On the highway, they didn’t make it.”
Emma stared at him, her face empty. “No,” she said. “No, your wrong.”
He swallowed hard. “They called as soon as they could identify them. There were a lot of casualties. They’re still working on the scene.”
My hand shot out blindly and caught the railing beside me. The wood felt unreal under my fingers.
Emma shook her head over and over. “That doesn’t make sense. Why were they there? They would have called. They would have told us if they were going somewhere.”
Her legs gave out. She dropped to her knees in the grass, her hands pressed together as if in prayer, though no words came.
The air felt thin. Distant. I could hear my own breathing, loud and uneven, like it came from faraway.
