Page 118 of The Gathered Fragments of Us
"Really." She assured her. "So don't worry about not remembering her. I can promise you—your heart won't let you forget her. And if there are moments you can't recall right away, your dad and I will help you." Felicity returned Macy's look, providing reassurance that she meant what she said.
My phone rang, the sound jarring in our quiet bubble of grief. I glanced at the caller ID: Brigham and Women's Hospital.
My blood went cold.
"I need to take this," I said quietly, stepping out of the car.
"Mr. Barrett? This is Dr. Patel from The Brigham."
"Yes?"
"I'm calling about Jessica Jensen. Do you have a moment where I can speak with you in private?"
I looked back at the car while standing on the sidewalk. Keeping my wife and daughter in my sights, I responded, "I do." My voice cracked. I knew what this was.
"I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but Jessica passed away about ten minutes ago."
The words hit me like a physical blow. I gripped the car door for support.
"What happened?"
"She went into cardiac arrest. She had a DNR, so we couldn't attempt to resuscitate her. The nurses stayed by her side in her last moments. She wasn't alone."
I stared at the ground, trying to process what he was telling me. "She's gone."
"Yes, I'm very sorry for your loss. I know this is difficult news, especially since you were just here visiting."
"Does... do we need to do anything right now?"
"Not immediately. There are arrangements to be made, but those can wait until tomorrow. I wanted to call you personally since I'm sure you will want to tell your daughter yourself."
"Thank you. I appreciate that."
After hanging up, I stood by the car for a moment, gathering myself before climbing back in. Felicity took one look at my face and knew.
I glanced meaningfully toward Macy, who was still curled against Felicity's side.
"Let's talk when we get home," Felicity said quietly, understanding immediately.
The rest of the drive passed in relative quiet, with Macy eventually falling asleep against Felicity's shoulder. When we pulled into our driveway, Maliyah came out to meet us, taking one look at our faces and immediately stepping in to help.
"How did it go?" she asked softly.
"We can talk inside," I said. "Can you keep Macy occupied for a few minutes?"
"Of course."
Once Macy was settled in the living room with Lucas and Zoe, watching a movie, Felicity and I pulled Maliyah into the kitchen.
"Jessica passed while we were on our way home," I said without preamble.
Maliyah's eyes widened. "Oh no. Does Macy know?"
"Not yet. We thought we should get her home to a comfortable place before we told her."
"How do we tell her?" Felicity asked. "It happened all of what—twenty minutes after we left Jessica's side?"
"And now she has lost her," Maliyah finished quietly. "Poor baby."
