On Hold

When I woke up that Tuesday morning, I had a brief moment where I simply woke up, thought about my day, and then about thirty seconds later...it all came rushing in.
The reality that Sal was no longer with us.
I tried to make breakfast but settled for a simple hot cup of tea. As I sat on the couch and cried, I realized I had yet to call Kate. I reached for the phone and dialed the number I knew by heart.
By the time she picked up, I was sobbing.
"Hey, it's me." I managed to choke out something like that as she picked up.
"Hey! Hold on," I heard what sounded like muted chaos on her end as well as the juggling of the phone. She came back on a second later. "Hey! I'm just trying to get...never mind. What's up?"
I could barely speak, but I managed to push out the words through tears, my voice getting strangled in my throat.
"Oh My God." Sharp intake of breath on her end. "You're kidding."
I thought I heard a doorbell ring in the background.
"I wish I was." I was just about to launch into some deep emotional territory when I heard her say to me:
"Listen, can I call you back? Devon's speech teacher just got here. I'll get him settled and call you right back."
She hung up the phone then and I sat there speechless, with tears streaming down my cheeks.