ring on the floor was like

utched her chest, a strangled gas

screamed, lungi

tic victory, before turning and walking away, her

is time. "She can't take any more stress," the doctor warned Ch

ontaining Julianne's ashes on the nightstand. It was a cold, h

. She wanted to tear them apart with her bare hands. But she looked at her mother's frail, s

to get t

mother breathe. The next morning, she

urned, the r

ice. Panic, absolute and suffocating, s

locking the doorway. His

arlotte demanded,

s tone casual. "She's claiming your mother push

e the whole time!" Charlotte's voice rose to a hysterical sh

aid, turning to leave. "I need to go check on

choosing them, again. O

arm. "Why won't you just leave us alo

ce twisting in annoyance

d panicked, came through the speaker. "Everett, Mommy is awake

xpression unreadable.

" Charlotte screamed

sound. "She's in the stairwe

the bottom of a concrete flight of stairs, un

ing over her. She cradled Barbara's head in her lap and wept, not

s new hospital bed, her phone

elebration party.

gnore

a link to a video file. The file na

bled as she t

be