"What do you mean by that?" Selene shouted at the doctor. "Is that what you're being paid for?"
"I apologize for your loss, ma'am. We did our best, but he had severe internal bleeding, and we couldn't stop it in time," the doctor said.
"Oh, that's no excuse, you fool! Get out of my presence!" Selene wailed and screamed at the doctor at the top of her lungs.
"Mom, calm down. Shouting won't bring Granddad back," Axel said, trying to comfort his mother as he held her close, murmuring soothing words while she broke down in tears.
"You can leave now," Axel said to the doctor, whose face had turned pale. "I apologize for your loss, once again," the doctor said before leaving.
I couldn't explain how I felt in that moment. Honestly, losing someone you never expected to lose feels like the ground giving way unexpectedly. One moment, they're part of your future, and the next, they become a silence you can't escape. Your heart keeps waiting for them to return, even when your mind knows they never will.
I tried to contain my feelings, holding Mira as she sobbed on my shoulder. "No, no, no, Elara, I can't believe he's gone. He can't just leave like that without saying anything," Miriam said.
"It's okay, Miriam. I understand how you feel. I'm here for you," I said, hoping my words brought her some comfort.
"Miriam," I heard Axel call out to his sister as he approached us. "Mira," he said again in a calm, soothing tone. Sometimes he called her Mira, sometimes Miriam; it was something we all did. I gently tapped her shoulder and whispered, "Mira, Axel is calling you."
She turned to her brother, clinging to him, tears flowing freely. Axel wrapped her in a comforting embrace, calming her down.
Meanwhile, I stood there, feeling stunned, watching everything unfold. I noticed my mother-in-law, Selene, was also quietly crying. As I stood there, I couldn't help but think about how this loss would change everything. How would I explain it to my child? How would life be from now on?
After a while, I heard my parents call my name. I got up and hugged them tightly. My mom held me close, her voice gentle and warm. "Oh, my dear, how are you holding up? This must be so hard for you, my love," she said, comforting me as I let my tears flow. My dad also came over and offered kind, reassuring words to help me calm down.
As my mom looked over my shoulder, she saw Axel and Selene not too far away. My dad said he would go over to greet them and offer his condolences, and my mom agreed, encouraging him to do so. I took a deep breath, settled back down, and watched them go, feeling the support of my family around me.
Then, as I settled back down, Axel approached me. His face was as expressionless as ever, that distant, cold vibe he always carried. He met my gaze and said, "We need to talk about how we'll tell our child. This is something we have to handle together."
After Axel said we needed to handle it together, I stood up and nodded, acknowledging that he was right. My agreement was silent but clear.
I met his gaze and, with a soft voice, asked, "How are you holding up, Axel? Are you okay?"
He gave a short, almost dismissive huff and simply said, "I'm fine. We just have to focus on this." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me with a mixture of concern and uncertainty.