He was our child

Gina tumbled through the front door carrying grocery bags.

‘The place was mad!  How is he?’

Pete looked up bleary-eyed.  ‘Not good.  He’s … he’s dead, Gina.’

‘Dead!’

The bags hit the floor.

‘He’d had enough.  He went peacefully.’

Gina dashed for the stairs.  ‘Call an ambulance!’

‘It’s too late for that.’  Pete trudged up after her.

She was sitting on the bed, sobbing and stroking Joe’s brow.

‘How could you?’

‘He asked me to.’

‘And you just did it?’

‘He begged me.  He wanted to die on his terms.’

‘He was our child!’

‘I know and I loved him.’


A drabble is a story of exactly 100 words.