My head was bursting with questions, but I was silenced by a cold voice on the other end.
"Mike, can you drop it already? It was just one missed date. It's not like she's gone for good. Why the drama with a mock funeral? Emily was coddled by you, and it's jinxed us!"
I was about to retort when another sleepy, Winston Yeates' lazy voice chimed in first.
"Jane, why the early wake-up?"
At that, last night's moans replayed in my ears.
I was suddenly speechless, the words lodged painfully in my throat.
Emily's heartfelt desire was for her mom to be at her mock funeral before she passed.
Yet her mom was too busy making a new baby with another man, effectively replacing her.
The rest of the conversation was lost to me, drowned out by a faint static buzz.
Probably Jane muffled the phone, thinking I could still hear them.
When Jane spoke again, her usual bravado was gone, replaced by a rare flicker of guilt.
"Got caught up with something at work yesterday, couldn't make it. I'll drop by with a gift for Emily once things settle down."
Then she hung up before I could get a word in.
That left me with a bitter chuckle.