And I played the video.

Her own voice rang out across the silent room, tinny and loud from the little speaker, over the phantom sound of the deck party. We paid a great deal of money for this vacation.

We are not going to forfeit the whole trip just because he decided to get worse at this exact moment. And then Garrett’s voice, booming and careless: Tell the old man to hold out until Tuesday!

I watched Megan’s head turn toward my brother.

“Did you actually say that?” she asked him, quietly.

“About a dying man?”