We went to Grandma's for lunch. Pizza in a cardboard box. The phone rang. Grandma picked up. She held the phone to her ear. After a minute she passed the phone to my aunt and walked around the corner. My aunt listened, hung up. She followed Grandma. For a moment nothing happened except my toddler babbling. No one ate pizza. When my aunt came back she made a motion across her throat, but I was the only one to see this motion. This was the announcement that Grandpa was dead. I didn't say anything until we got into the car.
When not writing Ares J. Benoit shepherds data near the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. They are a novice gardener and make fantastic waffles. Bluesky: @aresjb.bsky.social