Page 119 of The Gathered Fragments of Us
We stood in silence for a moment, all of us processing the weight of what this meant.
When we finally called Macy into the kitchen to talk, she took one look at our faces and knew.
She sat down at the kitchen table and said, "Mom's gone, isn't she?"
The question was so matter-of-fact, so resigned, that it broke my heart all over again.
"Yes, sweetheart. She passed this afternoon."
Macy was quiet for a long moment, staring at her hands folded in her lap.
"Did it hurt?"
"No, baby. She wouldn't have been in any pain and the doctor said her nurse was there with her."
Macy nodded slowly, tears starting to fall again, but quieter this time. "I'm sad, but also... is it okay that I'm a little bit okay?"
"Of course it's okay," Felicity said immediately, moving to put her arm around Macy. "You've been watching her suffer. It's natural to feel relieved that her suffering is over."
"What now?" Macy asked.
We talked briefly about the process for the funeral. Macy decided she wanted to pick out the flowers and wanted to help with the planning. Already I felt the weight of the decisions we will need to make.
Exhausted after talking and crying, we decided to call it a night soon enough.
As we said good night to Macy, she asked if she could fall asleep with the light on and if we would wait until she was completely asleep before turning it off. We didn't hesitate. As we looked in on her later, curled up in her bed, I thought about how our family had been through so much—from crisis to crisis, and now sealed by loss.
I took a moment to say a quick prayer over my daughter, asking the angels to watch over her tonight. Praying for comfort and a sleep filled with dreams of wonderful things—that she would have peace tonight, without the burdens of pain.
Chapter 47: This is Family
~Felicity~
Blinking, the first thing I noticed when I woke was the feeling of Caden's arm tightening around me. I was warm, safe, and it felt glorious. Caden squeezed lightly a few times, pulling me against his chest and cuddling me close. For just a moment—that blessed space between sleep and full consciousness—I forgot all the events of yesterday. I just felt the safety of my husband's arms and the comfort of our bed.
"Morning," he murmured against my hair, his voice still rough with sleep.
"Morning." I turned in his arms to face him, studying his face in the early morning light coming in from the windows. "How did you sleep?"
"Better than I expected. You?"
"Same. I was just so exhausted that there was no other choice but a deep sleep."
We lay there quietly for a few minutes, neither of us ready yet to face the day ahead. Yesterday felt surreal—honestly, the last few months had been surreal. The whole thing felt like it had happened to someone else.
"We need to call Morrison, though I'm sure he already knows," Caden said eventually.
"I know. And Dr. Chen. Macy will probably want to see her this week."
Caden's phone rang, and he reached for it, showing me Brad's name flashing on the screen.
He answered, "Hello?"
I couldn't hear Brad's side of the conversation, but I knew what he was asking—he was asking for help. Neither Brad nor Jessica had any family to speak of, I think it was just Brad's father and brother left. My guess is he had no idea what to even do for something like this. Knowing what he wanted, I nodded to Caden communicating without words that we'd be happy to help.
After he hung up, Caden said, "Damn, there so much to do."
"One thing at a time," I said, pressing a kiss to his collarbone. "We don't have to figure it all out right moment."
