Losing Joe — My Life Shattered By One Unthinkable Phone Call

Chapter 2

Our life changed in the blink of an eye on May 29, 2018. It was the day after Memorial Day, and every day since, I’ve been waiting to wake up from this horrendous nightmare. Even as I’m writing right now, my hands start to sweat, and my heartbeat feels loud and heavy. Reliving this day puts me into a tailspin, and I already feel my anxiety kicking in, a behavior I had never experienced before losing my son. Nevertheless, I will do my best to get through this story until I’m done.

I remember that day being just like any other afternoon. Nothing unusual, except my granddaughter, Ella, had suddenly become sick with a fever. We were lying down in Joe’s bedroom. It was a warm day, and Joe’s bedroom was the coldest room, so I took her to his room to lie down. Then, Joe called; it was midnight on Memorial Day on May 28, 2018. He was on his way home to shower and change his clothes; it was the Memorial Day holiday, and he was going to hang out with some friends.

I was dozing off to sleep when suddenly my eyes opened; I could hear the creaking sound of the front door opening. It was Joe. And, in his booming yet scratchy voice, he shouted, “Momma, I’m home! Where you at, Ma?” I asked him to come upstairs, but it was apparent he was in a hurry as I could hear the sound of his footsteps moving…