I ended the call.
A month later, Thomas passed away.
He passed away peacefully early in the morning, with my hand intertwined with his.
The pain was much greater than I expected.
We had only spent a few weeks together, but somehow those weeks contained all the love and longing of the fifty-six years we had lost.
The funeral was small.
I stayed by his grave and finally allowed myself to cry.
Raymond attended, of course.
He waited until most of the mourners had left before approaching me.
“You know I’m your only living relative,” he said, adjusting his tie. “Family matters should be kept within the family.”
I didn’t say anything.
“Older people shouldn’t sign documents they don’t understand.”
“I understood everything Thomas told me.”
Raymond gave me a slight smile.
“I helped Aunt Margaret with all her affairs. She was very grateful.”
A feeling of cold ran through my body.