me things like I can contact a counselor and where to pick up his belongings. And that his accident occurred on Interstate 60. While they continue talking, I think, why was he down that far? His bank is in North Phoenix. It doesn’t make any sense.
Died. He died?
Fear knots in my throat, and it’s as if someone is choking me. As I close the door, reality crashes against me as I stumble back. What do I do? Who do I call first? His mom? His dad?
Oh my God, Tatum. I don’t know why, but I hadn’t thought of her, until now. I want to rush up the stairs and hold her. Cry with her, but I’m afraid to tell her. How am I going to tell her that her daddy is gone? I was twenty-one when my dad died. I was an adult and understood that death happens as you get older. It didn’t mean that I like the fact that I lost both my parents in the same year, but Tatum’s three. She has her whole life ahead of her and now has to face it without the one man she looks up to.
When I woke up this morning, I didn’t know my world would be turned upside down, and every aspect of my life forever altered. Nausea rolls through me, my only thought, fuck, I’d been an asshole to him this morning. Had I known that was the last time I would see him, I would have… hugged him? I don’t know.
Reality smacks me in the face. It’d been two days since I told him I loved him. Two days!
He knew though, didn’t he?
The most commonly thrown pitch in baseball is a pitch meant to be thrown very fast. There are different variations of fastballs.
SYDNEY
“I can’t believe my credit card isn’t working.” I toss my wallet on the table, kicking off my heels. “Debit card. Nothing. What the fuck am I supposed to do?” Not only that, I couldn’t even pay for Collin’s funeral. Imagine that. After the Starbucks incident, I can’t say I’m entirely surprised by it.
The worst part, his parents had to because I’ve basically been cut off.
And it’s not like I’m a housewife living off my husband’s money. I have my own money that goes into those accounts from my business.
Word to the wise, sisters, if you’re thinking about getting a joint account with your husband, or significant other, think twice. Or at least have the passwords and know at all times what’s going on. I thought, he’s a banker. It’s fine.
Riiiiight?
Ha. Fucking. Ha, bruh. Don’t do it.
Nahla takes the bowl of popcorn she’d made for her and Tatum in her hand. “I can check with Kenneth and see what you can do to access your accounts.”
“Okay.” Nahla’s been my best friend since high school when as a senior, she took the dorky freshman art student under her wing. Now she’s an attorney and her husband is a pediatrician. Though he probably can’t hack into my bank account without the official death notice I haven’t received in the mail yet, his brother might be able to. He’s a manager at the bank Collin worked for.
Nahla stirs the popcorn around in the bowl, adding a dash of salt to it. “It’s weird that your name isn’t on them and he didn’t have any of the passwords written down.”
Weird? That doesn’t even begin to describe this last week. So many other adjectives come to mind. Like fucked up. That’s an adjective, right?
“Where’s the good shit?” Sadie, my younger sister, is in the kitchen digging through the liquor cabinet, black dress a little too high to be appropriate for a funeral. “I know Collin had some expensive wine in here somewhere.”
“In the back on the left,” I add, staring at the papers covering the table. What a mess.
Two hours ago, I laid my husband to rest, and though I’ve cried more in the last week than I have in the last five years, now there are no tears. They’ve dried, and I’m left with this emptiness I can’t find a home for. It hangs in the air, waiting to be filed in the “okay, this is what we’re doing now” category.
While Nahla gets Tatum settled with a movie and popcorn, the doorbell rings. Considering my only living family member, Sadie, is with me, I’m guessing this isn’t a death notice.
With my own bottle of wine in hand, I take it to the door with me. It’s Amos. My