How do I even answer that question?This wasn’t something we had ever talked about. Maybe we should have. I know Aunt Sarah is old; she was old when my father was a kid, but she never really seemed old. Certainly not close to dying anytime soon. I’m not her child. Heck, I’ve only known her since moving here five and a half years ago. With Uncle Jonas gone no-contact, I guess the burden falls to me.
“Aunt Sarah is…” I trail off.What is the right word for my aunt?“Vivacious. Exciting. Stubbornly independent.” I pause again, trying to will myself to say the next words. I clear my dry throat and stroke my thumb on the back of her soft but boney hand. Her skin is perfect, not mottled by spots like many older ladies. Her nails are beautifully manicured as always. This is a woman of pride and gentility. “She wouldn’t want to live like this. She’d think it an indignity to be so reliant on others.”
We just had dinner together a few days ago, and everything had seemed fine. Aunt Sarah was her usual, spicy self. She had been giving me pointers on getting over heartbreak and even suggested I try this hookup app she had heard about.
Less than a week ago, my aunt was encouraging me to go on a full-blown sexcapade, and now she’s unconscious and maybe dying. I can’t make it make sense.
Doctor Monceaux nods to the young doctor who steps up to the foot of the bed.
“Miss Sumner, I am Doctor Cohen. I’m a residentin the palliative care department. Part of my job is end-of-life care.”
I can barely get a breath. Every sound in the room is magnified. I swipe at something hot and wet on my cheeks and am surprised at the tears on my fingers.This is all Friedrich’s fault. I never cried before him. The young doctor’s words are garbled, like he’s talking to me while I’m underwater. He hands me some papers and a brochure, his mouth still moving, though I can’t hear any of it.
Scrubs squeezes my shoulder, bringing me out of whatever haze had fallen over me. “We’ll give you some time, Miss Sumner.”
The doctors leave, the nurse makes one last pass around her patient and exits the room as well. There’s a quiet knock on the door, and Margaret tiptoes in, right on time for me to completely lose control over my emotions. She’s by my side in an instant, holding me tight in her arms as I lay my head on the bed and weep.
