Cinematographer

"He's what?"

"Do you need anything from the kitchen?" She asks suddenly, "what?" I ask shaking my head to snap out of my stupor, "I said I needed a glass of water then asked if you wanted anything, are you okay?" She asks concernedly eyes scanning over my face. "Yeah sorry, I was just thinking about something. Can you get me some avocado anchovy toast?" I ask with a smile. "Of course, anything else? Something to drink?"

"Juice?" "You got it." She smiles standing up pressing a kiss to my hairline. I watch her as she walks towards the kitchen. I lean back in my seat on the couch going back to what I was watching on the tv.

I faintly heard Jade's phone ring and her pick it up with her famous way of saying hello. I tune out the tv just in time to hear glass shatter against the ground. My eyes widen as I quickly as I can get off the couch and waddle into the kitchen. There before my eyes was my wife cowering in the corner her head tucked between her legs as she rocks back and forth slightly, glass scattered all across the floor from when she dropped the glass that must've been in her hand. Her phone was still on the counter with her father on the phone. I pick it up. "Hello?" "Oh thank god Lizzie." The man sighs in relief. "Where is Jade?" "How about you tell me what is going on first?" I ask pressing her phone between my shoulder and ear as I walk to get the dust pan and broom to clean up the glass so I can carefully get to Jade.

"My dad was rushed to the hospital last night where he was put on life support from lung failure. This morning I was informed that he was pronounced brain dead within hours of him waking up for the day from lack of oxygen to his brain. I called Jade to tell her that just a few minutes ago we decided to pull the plug on his life support." Marcus explains over the phone. I nod slightly grabbing the broom and dustpan out of the closet. "And you decided that telling her over the phone was a good idea?" I ask rhetorically as I start to sweep the glass away from Jade where she hadn't moved a muscle from where she was, maybe all that changed was now there were tears streaming down her face.

I heard Marcus sigh over the phone. "I know that you are still learning about Judaism, Lizzie that way you can understand Jade, but I couldn't just call her to come home and then tell her when she got here. In the Jewish faith one must bury you're loved one within 24 hours of death. Meaning she needs to come home on the first flight she can get. In Christianity there is a wake then followed by a funeral usually within the week. There is no chance of that here. I realize telling her over the phone was not ideal but it was what needed to be done. I'm sorry." He whispers before hanging up. I place Jade's phone on the counter before sweeping the glass into the dustpan throwing it in a paper bag to be dealt with later.

I take a deep breath before sitting next to Jade. I don't reach out to her, knowing when she needs the comfort she will reach out. Touching her in this sort of state scares her.

Jade's POV

I slightly hear Lizzie on the phone with my dad but I barely register it. My grandfather was dead, he was sick for months and no one had the audacity to tell me. No one. Not my dad, my mom, my grandma, my sister, Savannah, absolutely fucking NO ONE!

Everyone else got to say there goodbyes last night while I was blissfully unaware of the fact that my grandfather was dying. No one thought that I deserved to be able to say goodbye to him and tell him that I loved him one last time. He never got to meet the twins fully, he will never get to meet Max.

I stand up slowly in a fog as I walk towards my room in a haze of unknown. I get to the stairs and take each single step one at a time as if I was learning how to use stairs for the very first time again. I walk in silence past the twins rooms. I walk past what will be Max's nursery and room when he is born. I pause slightly looking at the Winnie the pooh themed room. I take a shaky breath before continuing my journey to my room.