‘Come here, poppet,’ she said as she wrapped her arms around Ty, drawing him closer for a hug. In her arms, he broke down, his small body quivering, his tears soaking into her top. ‘It’s going to be OK, Ty. I love you. Poppa, Wren and Billy love you too, but you know what?’ He looked up at her. ‘You’re going to have to help me take care of Poppa. He’s extra sad. Do you think you can do that?’

‘Yes, Mommy,’ he whispered. He pulled out of her hug and went over to his poppy, who was talking to another neighbor. Vanessa watched as Ty hugged her dad. He stopped talking and bent down, hugging Ty tightly in his arms. Vanessa felt her eyes well up, threatening to spill tears down her face. She was trying so hard to stay strong for her family. If she fell apart, well… she didn’t know what would happen.

The wake was mercifully short. Vanessa couldn’t handle much more of the hugging and the platitudes, the compliments about her mom and people telling her she was in a better place. No, her place was here, with her family. Slowly the guests left, hugging everyone, right down to Ty who was no longer clutching his tissue. He was being so brave, Vanessa’s heart went out to him. When the last of them had gone, Wren came up to Vanessa and slung his arms around her. ‘How are you, Mom?’

The strain of the day finally caught up with her, and that simple question was her undoing.

She began to cry, not small sobs but an anguished cry that wracked her body with shudders. If Wren hadn’t been holding her tightly to him she would have slipped to the floor. ‘Mom!’ She felt the world tilt wildly, saw Billy come striding over as he and Wren helped her into the bedroom, forcing her to lie down.

A while later there was a knock at the door.

‘Mom? Can I come in?’ Wren asked. She nodded, then realized that he couldn’t see her nod. ‘Come in,’ she said weakly. Wren walked in and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.

‘Billy sent me in to ask you if you felt up to going home. He thinks you’d be more comfortable in your own bed.’

Vanessa sat up and looked around her. She was in her parents’ room. She touched the bedspread on the other side, her mom’s side. She began to cry softly.

‘I’m going to miss her too, Mom.’ He moved closer. ‘What shall I tell Billy?’

‘Tell him I’ll be out in a minute.’

Once Wren had left the room, she took another moment in her mom’s room then slowly stood up, aware that she had fainted. She walked out into the lounge. Billy was holding hands with Ty, wiping the tears from his small face.