2

He didn’t recognize the number, but it was Mariah’s area code.  “Hello?”

 

“Hi, um, is this Chad?”  Chad couldn’t tell who it was or how old she was.

 

“Yes ma’am,” he answered politely to cover his annoyance.

 

“This is Mariah’s mom,” the strained voice answered, “and I’m very sorry to tell you this, but Mariah had an accident,” she paused to clear her throat,” and she didn’t make it.” 

 

Chad didn’t feel like this was really happening.  He quickly thought, “what would someone say in this situation?”  He had no idea, so he answered the woman with a low, “oh.”

 

“So anyway, the funeral is tomorrow.  I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner,” she paused again to fight back her sobs, “but I didn’t realize you two were…” she didn’t finish.

 

“Oh,” was all Chad could say.

 

“It will be at 5, at St. Mary’s downtown.  I’m sorry, Chad,” she hung up. 

 

“Okay,” he said blankly, “okay.”  Sitting back on the floor, he decided he should hang up, so he removed the phone from his ear and put it somewhere.  When had he sat down?  And when had she died?  He wondered how someone should react to this, but, then again, what was this?  Should he react to Mariah or to what happened tonight?   What did happen tonight?  He honestly didn’t know.  All he really knew was his apartment was trashed and no one was going to pick it up but him.

 

His phone woke him up.  “Hello?”

 

“Hey, Chad!  Are you feeling okay?”

 

“Yeah, mom,” was it Sunday?  He’d completely forgotten about their weekly phone calls�"something they did since he went away for college�"but was that surprising given the circumstances?  He still didn’t know what was normal.  He decided to tell her about Mariah.

 

“Oh, hun, I have to go, but I’ll call you back later, okay?  Maybe you’ll wake up by then,” she chuckled.

 

“Bye mom.”  He stayed on his bed for a minute.  The sun streamed through the window, warming his cheek, but not reaching across his face.  He closed his eyes, “it must be about one,” he thought, then he rolled over to check on Bentley, but his arm met the empty, cold sheets.  “Bentley,” he called as he raised himself onto his elbows�"no answer.  “Bentley,” he called out louder.  He smiled at himself�"what did he expect?  “Hey I’m here in the kitchen with the tooth fairy.  He wants to make a deal.”  He got up to look for Bentley, but he wasn’t in the kitchen or on the patio, and the living room was empty.  Chad turned around to check the bedroom again when he noticed the bathroom door was slightly open.  His head was still throbbing.  He didn’t need this s**t right now.  He burst through the door, flinching when it hit the wall.  Nothing was there.

 

Then something fell in the kitchen.  “Maybe Bentley is chilling with the tooth fairy,” Chad smiled.  He found his phone on the kitchen floor, still ringing.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hi, um, is this Chad,” a soft woman’s voice answered.

 

“Uh yeah.  I’m sorry, but who is this?”

 

“This is Mariah’s mom,” the strained voice answered, “and I’m very sorry to tell you this, but Mariah had an accident,” she paused to clear her throat,” and she didn’t make it.” 

 

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but you told me this last night,” listening to himself he sounded bitchy, so he added, “and I really appreciate you calling me during this terrible time.

 

“So anyway, the funeral is tomorrow.  I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner,” she continued, “but I didn’t realize you two were…” she didn’t finish.

 

“Ma’am, we talked last night, remember?  The funeral is today�"today at 5?”

 

“It will be at 5, at St. Mary’s downtown.  I’m sorry, Chad,” she hung up. 

 

He looked at his phone�"it was 2:30.