The topic of the program was natural disasters, marking the increase in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and even the change in weather patterns.

His job as a photojournalist for Nat Geo had left little room for a personal life. He’d never married. It was hard to have a relationship when a job was as fluid and mobile as his. Life had not turned out the way he’d once expected, but he was satisfied with where it had taken him.

The soup was heating on the stove, and he’d put a fresh pot of coffee on to brew when his cell phone rang. He set the soup off the heat to answer it.

“Hello. Marc speaking.”

“Marc, it’s me, David.”

Marc smiled. His younger brother, David, was his best friend.

“Hey, Bro, what’s up?”

“I know you just got home, but I’m afraid I have bad news. Uncle Wayne passed away early this morning.”

Marc frowned. “Oh man, the cancer?”

“Yes,” David said. “He’s been in the hospital for the past three weeks and on life support all of this past week. Aunt June and the girls finally agreed it was time, and they took him off this morning. He passed about three minutes afterward.”

“I’m so sorry. I guess it’s too soon to know when the service will be,” Marc said.

“They’ve had three weeks to make decisions,” David said. “They’re at the funeral home as we speak, setting a date. As soon as I find out, I’ll text you. Can you come?”

“Absolutely,” Marc said. “You know how we are. Family is everything.”

David sighed. “Yes. I’ll get back to you later today. Glad you’re home. It will be good to see you again. I suppose you are still rocking your silver-fox look. No hope you finally got fat, or that you finally shrunk so I’d be the taller son?”

Marc laughed. “What are you complaining about? You’re the one with the beautiful wife and grandkids.”

“True,” David said and laughed, but he knew there was a sadness in Marc that he had neither. “When I know more, I’ll text.”

“Okay, and tell Aunt June I love her and I’ll see her soon.”

“Yeah, I will,” David said.

The smile on Marc’s face disappeared the moment the connection ended. Their uncle Wayne had been the father figure in their lives ever since he and David were in their early twenties. But the old man had suffered too long with inoperable cancer, and he had lived a long and fruitful life. In Marc’s eyes, there was no greater blessing.

He poured the soup and took the bowl and a soup spoon to the table, tossed a handful of oyster crackers on the surface of the hot chowder, and then took a small bite. The time he’d been on the phone had been the perfect cooling period, and he ate the rest of the soup without issue.

He got a text from David about three hours later regarding the funeral and began making plans to head to Kansas City, Missouri, for the family gathering that would be the night before the funeral, then stay over the next day for the services before heading home.