Michael’s cell phone had been given to Martin with his wallet and a bracelet he had been wearing at the time of the accident. These items had been left on the dining room table and nearly forgotten, until the musical tones of the phone started playing. Linda answered it, “hello?”

“Hello,” a woman said, hesitating. “I’m looking for Michael.”

“I’m sorry to tell you he has passed away,” Linda stated, in a voice as kindly as she could muster.

“What?” the woman asked, confusedly.

“He died in a car accident.”

“I’m talking about Michael Ehrnstrom.”

“Yes, Michael Ehrnstrom has passed away.”

The woman said nothing for a moment, but her labored breathing betrayed her. “Are you his mother?” she asked.

“No, his stepmother.”

“I can’t talk now,” she said and began to sob as she turned off the phone.

“Did you know Michael had a girlfriend?” Linda asked Martin.

“He didn’t have a girlfriend,” he replied.

“Hmmph,” she muttered. “You answer it next time.”

_____________________________________________________

Grace stepped back toward the chair. Reaching her hand back, she felt for it and eased herself into it. Her fingers pressed several buttons on the phone until it beeped at her. She couldn't see the side table with her eyes full of tears and dropped the phone clumsily onto it. The thud awoke Kitty, who had been stretched out in a sunny spot on the carpet.

Without yet understanding the extent of her loss, she could only sit and allow the tears to come. Kitty rubbed her head and then the length of her body on Grace's legs. Grace bent over to pet her. She reached her head up to meet Grace's hand and slowly moved her body under the gentle pressure of her fingers. Kitty stepped away as Grace released her tail. Feeling her move away, Grace rolled herself onto the Kitty's leftover warm spot on the carpet. Even with her eyes closed, the sun was bright and hot on her face. Kitty doubled back, seeing Grace now at her level. She purposely bumped her head onto Grace's forehead and began to lick the tears from her cheeks. After a few minutes, Kitty seemed to think her mission was in vain and lightly touched Grace's closed eyelid with the pad of her paw.

Grace choked out an involuntary chuckle, which felt more like a sob. Kitty's response was to sit quietly next to her stomach.

The next conscious thought she had was where am I? The floor had become hard under her hip as she dozed, worn out from crying. The sun was gone and she felt a chill on her back. She had the warmth of Kitty pushed up against her stomach. Her hand reached over to her other arm and checked the coolness. Her eyes opened, releasing a flood of accumulated tears.

She pulled herself up onto the chair and clicked the lamp on. Kitty cooed at her and, stretching, began to bathe herself. As soon as her eyes stopped smarting, she pulled her laptop out of it's case and opened it. I have to tell Jed, she thought.

Entering Second Life, she checked for Jed. "JED," she IMed. "Michael has died in a car accident." She waited.

"Voice please," he IMed back.

"Ok," she reponded. She sent him a request to join her at her skybox and instantly he was next to her.

"What happened?" he spoke into the microphone.

"I don't know," she managed to say. "I called his cell phone and a woman answered, his stepmother." She paused, trying not to start crying again.

"What did she say?" He tried not to show his impatience.

"She said he died in a car accident."

"Grace, I'm sorry." He walked to her couch and, setting himself into a hugging pose, invited her to sit next to him. Seeing herself with her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her brought tears to her eyes. Jed felt a strong urge to cry with her, but distracted himself by comforting her.

"Did you tell anyone else?" he asked her.

"No, I just got here."

"It's okay, I'll do it." He opened a group IM for their writer's group and posted a short message. Immediately, he was deluged with questions from other group members. He had little to tell them. Within a few minutes, he began receiving IMs from other mutual friends.

"The word is out," he said to Grace.

"More people are IMing me. I have to go. I just can't handle this now," she said. They said their goodbyes and she logged off.

She closed her laptop and slipped it into its case. Dialing her boss's work phone, she left a message that she would be off for a couple days.

She wasn't hungry, but knew she should eat something. Tea seemed to be the answer to the dilemma and she ate some toast with it. Feeling drained, she went to bed.