The cab dropped me off in front of the house, but for a while, I just sat there, staring at the door. My chest felt empty, my hands felt too heavy to even push myself out.
The second I opened the door, Diane was there.
She didn't say a word, she just pulled me straight into her arms.
I collapsed into her shoulder before I even realized it, my arms tightened around her.
"Diane…" My voice cracked, muffled against her. "He's gone."
Saying it out loud made it real in a way it hadn't been yet. I felt her arms tighten around me, her hand trembled against the back of my head
She pressed a hand to the back of my head, holding me tighter. I felt her breath stutter against my ear.
She didn't sob. Diane never let herself break in front of me. But her silence was worse.
"I know," she whispered, so soft it almost shattered me more. "I know, baby."
