They Held My Funeral While I Was Still Breathing. Then My Seven-Year-Old Nephew Looked Into the Coffin and Said, “Mommy, Aunt Madelyn Is Looking at Me”

“I know,” I said.

“We never meant to kill you.”

“You held a wake for me,” I said, “while I was breathing.”

She looked at the table.

“Christopher promised me you’d just sleep for a few hours.

That he’d say later you’d taken too much of something for your nerves.

But when you didn’t wake up the next morning, he — he panicked.”

“And you?