I closed the app. My face was cold and unreadable, when suddenly, a friend request popped up from an unfamiliar account.
[Paula Keith]: “Ian insisted on buying Lloyd a pair of gold bracelets. I tried to refuse, but he got upset and said I was treating him like a stranger.”
I stared at the screen, stunned. Accepting the request out of morbid curiosity, I barely had time to process her message before more notifications flooded in.
[Paula Keith]: "Sherrie, is Ian this generous with you and your child? Don’t worry, I won’t take it for free. When your baby turns one month old, I’ll give you a pair of longevity locks."
[Paula Keith]: "Oh, wait, such locks shouldn’t just be given away. What a shame."
This was followed by an emoji that seemed to laugh so hard it brought tears.
My head buzzed. My chest tightened as I gasped for air, trembling all over.
Before I completely lost control of myself, I exited the chat and went to Director Zheng's Instagram page. My fingers furiously typed a single line.
"Hello, Director Zheng. I’ll come by the funeral home tomorrow to finalize the procedures and bring the child home. Thank you for all you’ve done during this time."
After turning off my phone, I wiped away my tears, clenched my fists, and gritted my teeth.
Baby, we’re going to that birthday party. We’ll give them a gift they’ll never forget.
