re. I lay on the cold tile of the bathroom floor, the world a blurry mess of white porcelain and dark, s

Ava. Stop bein

st inches from my face. I could see a small scuff on the left one. He w

a sound. My chest was a tight knot of pain.

that I knew so well. It was the sou

eo late for his dinner. You know how h

cross my body for a second before he walked out of the bathroom, leav

e sound of a can of soda being opened, that crisp hiss. He was getting a drin

t door. I heard her voice, bright

hood, thought I'd see if you guy

rent now, full of fake concern. It was a voice he used f

ked, her footsteps getting closer. I tried to call out, to

hallway. "Probably best to let her sleep it off

he love in her voice. It was a sound I was desperate for

o," Mar

ck clicked into place. He had

, the bare bulb seeming to dim and pulse with the last, fading beats of my heart. I thought of Leo, my sweet little boy, probably sitting at the table waiting for a mother who would n

h left me in

, I was

d down and saw my own body, still and pale on the ti

drifted out of the bathroom, a

oom, on his phone. He wa

No, no mess. It just

oment, his face a m

need to check the exact payout on the accidental deat

as looking at my body on the floor, a body that was still warm, and he was thinking about money. T