If I Had Known Gert Had Cancer

If I had known Gert had cancer I might have backed off. No, you wouldn’t have. How do you know? I know you. But if I had known it was the last time I would see her. I might have….. Her voice trails off. She catches herself in her own lie. She feels badly now. There was no reason to act the way she had. Maybe she will do better next time. There is no time left now. She picks up the phone. To call her other sister. To ask about the arrangements Wishing she could call Gert’s children But not feeling she should dare. If I had known Gert had cancer I might have backed off. No, you wouldn’t have. How do you know? I know you. But if I had known it was the last time I would see her. I might have….. Her voice trails off. She catches herself in her own lie. She feels badly now. There was no reason to act the way she had. Maybe she will do better next time. There is no time left now. She picks up the phone. To call her other sister. To ask about the arrangements Wishing she could call Gert’s children But not feeling she should dare.