I couldn't hold back my sorrow for Angela. "I'm so sorry," I said, my heart aching for them.
"They both had kidney problems," Sebastian went on, his eyes distant. "Angela's condition was the worst. Last December, it suddenly worsened, and by then, all our savings were gone. Our credit cards were maxed out. I was just praying for Christmas to come. That's when we'd get our bonuses for the year."
His voice was soft, almost as if he were afraid of disturbing the memory of his lost daughter. "But on Christmas Day, the bonus didn't arrive on time. I called to ask about it, and Fiona answered the phone."
He added, "I barely had time to speak before she interrupted me. She was so impatient, so angry, saying, 'Don't bother us with your petty problems on Christmas.'"
Sebastian's voice cracked,
