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When did I last speak to my parents?

“The police found some medications in your parents’ bathroom,” Mirai broaches in her soft voice “They have your father’s name on them, so they called the doctor and learned that he had cancer, Tiernan”

I don’t move

“They never said anything to me,” she tells me “Did you know your father was sick?”

I shakethe tire sway

I hear her s “Apparently, he tried treatressive,” she says “The doctor said he… he wasn’t going to last the year, honey”

A gust of wind picks up outside, churning the swing, and I watch the rope spin the tire as it twists

“It looks like… It looks like they…” Mirai trails off, unable to finish her thought

I knohat it looks like I knehen I found the Toulouse, ing to get into their bedrooht occurred toin anyway Just before I closed it again though, my eyes shot up, and I saw them

On the bed In each other’s arms Fully dressed

He wore his favorite Givenchy suit and she was in the Oscar de la Renta gown she wore to the Cannes Film Festival in 2013

He had cancer

He was dying

They knew, and my mother had decided not to let hi else without him

Nothing else

A sting hits the backs of one almost immediately

“The police haven’t found a note,” Mirai says “Did you find—”

But I turnher eyes, and she instantly falls silent What a stupid question

I lockthe needles inschools and summer camps where I was kept busy and raised by anyone but the my parents did anymore But it seems there are still parts of me to hurt

They didn’t leavethey wanted to say to

me