I had just returned from an extended trip due to a family emergency out of state. Due to all the traveling, my suitcase remained untouched, groceries were not a second thought, my only focus was getting back to work and reestablishing my weekly routine of dinner with the parentals every other day.
August 1, 2022 the morning started off as usual. Got the morning call from mom, she was trying to fax a form and wanted to know if my printer was also a fax machine.. which was a "no". I had responded with the possibility of scanning the form in on hers and emailing the document to whomever needed it, and went about my day. I figured if mom had an issue doing that, she would let me know and I would get it done for her the following day as it was our usual dinner schedule.
However, on this same day, the 1st, she never reached back out to let me know if she was able to get it or not. I sent her a quick text saying, "Hello... did you get it?", to no response. As her sleep habits were sporadic at best, it wasn't uncommon for mom to take a little nap around this time, so again, thought nothing of it and headed to my pool tournament. Shortly after arriving, it hit me, something hit me and I even told a fellow pool player, somethings wrong, I had to step out and called my moms cell, no answer, called the house, but no answer. I then called my sister and asked if she had heard from mom and she advised not since the morning. But we both agreed, if she had fallen asleep, she wouldn't be awake until 11pm, maybe midnight. So I went back to the tournament.
On August 2, 2022 I once again sent a text to her phone first, asking if she was awake, when I didn't get a response within 30 minutes, I called the house and this time my stepfather answered and I could tell immediately something was wrong, he sounded out of breath. And then the words I feared, the ambulance just left with your mom.
The call to my sister, the drive to pick up my dad was a blur, somehow, I managed both and found myself standing at the entrance to her room, the person laying there didn't register with me immediately that she was my mother. Without a word I remember walking up to her, holding her hand in mine, gently kissing her on the forehead and I turned around and walked out. Although the walk from the car to the entrance of the hospital was very fast, my need to get to my car at that moment felt like my car was parked miles away. Once I was in it, I just remember losing it completely. I was hitting the steering wheel, I tried to light a cigarette and the lighter not cooperating didn't help, that thing went flying. And then I called my oldest sister. By now, having made the first call prior to arriving at the hospital, she and my brother-in-law were already on their way. So alone and not sure what to do, I walked back to the hospital and into her room where my dad stood, just staring at her, he never even looked back at me.
At that very moment, my world just stopped. I couldn't remember how to breathe.
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