Living Through the Unthinkable
The days that followed barely felt real.
I had no strength left and didn’t know how to keep going with my heart shattered.
People filled our house with flowers and casseroles. My sister Jenna stayed with me because she was worried I wouldn’t sleep.
She was right.
Meanwhile, Mark handled everything — the funeral home, the church, the paperwork. Every time someone asked me a question, he answered on my behalf.
At the time, I thought he was protecting me.
I didn’t know the truth yet.
Those first few days, I kept replaying that morning in my head, trying to understand how my healthy little girl could suddenly become so sick.
One night after a funeral home meeting, I finally found the strength to ask Mark directly.
“Did Ava eat anything unusual at school?”
He shook his head immediately.
“Not that I know of. Just her normal breakfast, like I told the school and the paramedics.”
Then he sat beside me on the couch and took my hand.
“Emily, please don’t do this to yourself. The doctors said these reactions can happen fast.”
At the time, I thought he was on my side.
Looking back, I realize he answered too quickly — as if he’d already rehearsed the lie.
