“…breaks my heart,” one of them whispered. “She’s so sweet. And he’s always on his phone — I heard him the other day outside, whispering to someone. Definitely not business.” The other sighed softly. “I thought so too. You’d think he’d have the decency to wait, at least.” Clara’s pulse slowed. Their voices melted into static. She lay still, eyes closed, pretending she wasn’t awake.
When she opened her eyes, the room was dim again. Maggie slept in the chair beside her. The flowers Evan had brought last week were starting to brown at the edges. She stared at them for a long time, her thoughts moving through a kind of numb fog.