Quietly, I re-enter the room and neither of them acknowledge my presence; good, I want them to be in this moment with him. Marie’s head rests on Jesse’s chest, her small, weathered hands clutching his. With the time that has passed, the warmth of his body would be gone now. Scanning the shelving unit in the corner, I see a pile of folded woolen blankets. I take two, shaking them open and proceed to wrap one around each of the grieving women before me.

Kinsley looks up, her eyes telling me stories of a thousand lifetimes. Each one playing out with an ending different to the one she is witnessing today. I want to scoop her back up into my arms and protect her from her pain. From all that is still to come. But I can’t, not yet.

* * *

Kinsley

Marie finally rouses, I’m not sure how long we watched her sleep for. She passed out earlier with her head on Jesse’s chest, and during that time Tanner had to turn several nurses away, demanding they not disturb her. When she eventually finds the strength to drag her eyes from him she stands, folds the blanket and pulls her cardigan tighter around her body. Her eyes meet mine and two words slip quietly from her mouth, “I’m ready.”

Then, as if he was a guiding light leading us out of the darkness, we follow Tanner out of the room. The click of the door closing behind us will forever haunt me. Marie and I walk hand in hand to the elevator, the three of us taking it back to the ground floor. As we enter the small hospital cafeteria, a familiar pair of chocolate brown eyes meet mine across scattered round tables.

Sophie is sitting alone at a table with four takeaway coffee cups. Please let them be for us, could you imagine if she had consumed all that caffeine? Tanner snickers behind me — wait, did I just say that out loud?

“Marie, this is Sophie,” I say as we approach her.

Marie greets her with a soft smile. “Sophie, I’ve heard so many lovely things about you.”

For the first time since I have known her, Soph is lost for words. Her smile lacks the little dimple on her left cheek, her eyes dart between each of us lacking their usual sparkle. Suddenly it smacks me in the face, she doesn’t know.

“I, uh — there are two lattès and two hot chocolates.” She gestures to the table. “I wasn’t sure what to get.”

Marie and Tanner each take a seat at the table. Whilst I stay standing, twisting a small strand of hair around and around my finger before I feel the relief of the burn. I need to tell her.

“I need to use the bathroom.” Sophie excuses herself from the table and glances my way.