The next few questions focused solely on his gameplay. When theclip concluded, I replayed the part about me. I hadn’t been expecting that, and it made my heart swell. To be defended so publicly did something to me. I put my hand over my heart and drifted to sleep.
A few hours later, Monica’s soft, compassionate tone jarred me awake. “Jazmyn.”
My eyes flew open, and my stomach plummeted.Aunt Addy.
I sat up quickly. “Monica?”
“You should come see your aunt.”
The sadness in her tone told me everything I needed to know.
“Okay,” I said shakily, getting out of the bed. “What’s changed?”
“Her breathing. I don’t know how much time she has.”
I’d thought I had a week with her, but death didn’t wait for anyone.
My mom was in the hallway with watery eyes and a teary smile. We hugged for a full minute, not saying a word but fully understanding. I walked down the hallway, and I saw my dad at his sister’s side. His red-rimmed eyes and solemn expression tugged at my heart. When he saw me, he stood, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing me tight. I’d kept it together through those emotional embraces, but when I looked at Aunt Addy, I almost lost it.
“Aunt Addy,” I whispered, hugging her lifeless body.
Her breathing was shallow, almost imperceptible, and strained. Her eyes were closed as if she were resting. Her cheekbones were more pronounced due to her weight loss and the way she was lying. More than anything, I wanted her to hug me back.
I shut my eyes tight, but the tears seeped through my lashes. “Thank you for everything.” I spoke softly, as if I were scared to disturb her rest. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel bad about dying. I was being selfish because I’m going to miss you. I wasn’t thinking about you and what you’re going through, what you’ve been going through for years. I’m so sorry about that. You’re hurting. You’re in pain. If it’s time for you to go, I understand. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. I am so thankful for how you took care of me, but now you have to take care of you. Thank you for this summer. Spending that time with you was everything. I’m sorry I didn’t help you get your party. You deserved the party of your dreams. You deserve everything.” Asob erupted out of me. “I would’ve died in this town if it weren’t for you. It would’ve swallowed me up and suffocated me. Thank you for all the you that you poured into me. I love you.”
I lifted my head and looked at her. I grabbed her hand and held it while I cried. She was relatively young, and her life ending at fifty-four was heartbreaking. Although she’d lived such a full, vibrant life, she still had so much she could’ve done and accomplished. So I cried for her—what she had done and what she had yet to do.
“Jazmyn?” Monica interrupted me twenty minutes later.
I looked up.
“I need to check her,” she said softly.
I moved out of the way so she could do her job.
Monica called everyone in the room, and my dad said a prayer. We sat in silence for a few minutes while Monica used her stethoscope to search for a heartbeat. Shaking her head, she continued to monitor for respiratory effort. She lifted Aunt Addy’s eyelids and confirmed her pupils were fixed and nonreactive to light.
“There are no signs of life present. Addison is gone,” Monica announced softly, her voice breaking slightly.
It was a few minutes past eight o’clock in the morning.
There was a finality to the silence that filled the house after that announcement.
It felt like time froze and then I blinked, and it was nine o’clock and Rose had arrived.
My mom was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. My dad was in the living room making calls to family. Rose was in the office making calls to friends. Monica was on the other side of Aunt Addy’s room completing paperwork. And I sat quietly, staring at my aunt’s body.
“Addison left something for you,” Monica said gently. From the nightstand drawer, she pulled out three sealed envelopes. Each had directions on the front that she read as she handed it to me. “This is for you to open now.” She handed me the first one. “This is for you to open when you get back home.” She handed me the second one. “And this is for you to open when you finish your list or on New Year’s Eve.” She handed me the third one.
“Thank you,” I whispered, staring at my aunt’s handwriting on the envelopes.
Monica made the call to arrange for the body to be transported and left me alone in the room.
I held up the envelope I couldn’t open until after my list was complete. “Did you mean everything on my list except for the student loan repayment? I know you said I can do anything, but unless they forgive my loans, I need to remind you that I teach at a public school. I think we both knew that was unreasonable for me to complete by the end of the year.” I let out a little giggle, and then my smile fell at remembering she was never going to laugh or smile back.
I took a deep breath and opened the first envelope.
Jazmyn,
