Me: Would you like me to tell everyone?
Nell: Yes, please. I don’t think I can.
Me: Nell and I have some very sad news. As you know, Charlie had been suffering from heart failure for some time but seemed to be doing better.
Nell: I thought he was just tired. I would never have gone away if I had known.
Me: He wanted you to go.
Nell: He was so pleased to see me when I got home.
Me: Yes, he was.
Nell: I think he waited for me.
Me: He probably did.
Nell: My darling Charlie.
Me: Yesterday Charlie suddenly went into severe heart failure and had trouble breathing. There was no way back from this, so the difficult decision was made to let him go.
Nell: My heart is breaking. He was the love of my life.
Me: I know. We all loved him, Nell. Try to remember what you told me when I lost my mother. The ones we love are never really gone. We carry them in our hearts and they are always with us.
Nell: Yes, I believe he is watching over us now and he is no longer in pain.
Me: That’s right. We’re all here for you, Nell, and for Sheila, who had to make that difficult decision.
Nell: Yes, I know her heart is broken. She loved him so much.
Me: But he will never be forgotten and he will live on in the book as Charlie Shepherd the handsome secret agent.
Nell: Yes, he will.
Me: It’s hard to accept that we will never see him again.
Nell: Just because we can’t see him now doesn’t mean he isn’t there. He and I will meet again.
Me: I am so sorry for your loss.
Nell: We are all sorry today.
