As tears streamed silently down Ben's face, Bob felt a lump rise in his throat, struggling to hold back his own emotions.
Only then did it dawn on Mark that, a few months ago, I had actually reached out to him.
At that moment, Wendy was devastated by the sudden death of her beloved dog of five years. She was so distraught that she collapsed, unable to stand on her own.
Mark had been preoccupied arranging the pet's farewell and getting Wendy to the hospital.
He had dismissed my call as an exaggerated attempt to lure him home, falsely claiming my father's life was hanging by a thread.
Never did it cross his mind that my father would genuinely pass away.
He had even mocked me with the words, "He stays in a posh hospice, living better than I ever can be. Why would he be willing to die?"
