Weeks After the Funeral, My Wife Was Hers

ting Lily, Clara – "A

ee with two sugars, right

, looking

e knew. She was living

ow I liked my coff

ail. A forg

cut in a thou

rought in l

peanut butt

c to peanut

almost seen me die fr

then. Saved my li

o

sandwich, a cold

Or did she just

tarted to i

oomed on

ed for

ni

n the corner, triggered by a hospital ala

was c

ked from

ond, showed Clara's panic

eplaced by "Ava's"

hoi

me, struggling to breathe,

like an

wing. Black spots d

pocket. No EpiPen. I ha

mo

oward

rds

her voice soothing, "Mar

dled hi

hoking.

e chos

omforting Mark fade

dic who'd worked the wa

isiting anot

e. Her ey

Anaph

r of motion.

d. A

ife. By a n

n a hospita

antiseptic wa

a TV from the ne

with Clara? It w

lled it. D

ad ch

t was

inal, brut

ldn't have hesitated.

ra was t

this... th

s "

them leaving

ing heavily o

ng him, her arm

wly, a picture

umed behind them a

dn't lo

hing. A ho

gnat

s it. T

between Clara an

"Ava" came t

basket of frui

worried. How a

g with false conce

isy was su

at the woman who

er wearing a

I said, my

anks t

d. A hint of Clar

rk. He was... he

I was

ooked

ark. She need

needed

in the air, hea

way, dismi

shoul

tated. "

G

ket on the table

watch h

basket and threw

phone rang.

was tight

They found him at the station!

sank. Not

h hell this

ayes, who had alr