When she heard that her father died, she truncated her studies abroad and returned home.
She spent the next two days in airports, texting relations and family friends explaining that her plane had been delayed. She landed just in time for the funeral.
After the service, they all told her what a good man he’d been, and how sad she must be. The strain of travel helped approximate something like grief, and she said nothing.
Shed known her father better than any of them, and he’d been a bastard in private. Preserving his reputation was her last sacrifice for him.

“Funeral flower arrangement” by docguy is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2024 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0