When it mattered most

Jade had always been the responsible one!!

At 26, she had a stable job, a small apartment, and a reputation for never missing deadlines. She was the kind of person who returned texts immediately, checked in on her friends, and never, ever let her phone go unanswered.

She was that professional, Polite, and cared alot about others needs.🤔🤔

But that night, she was exhausted. Work had been a nightmare. She had worked tenaciously to meet all the deadlines.

Her boss was on her case, however, she scaled through, and all she wanted was a hot shower and sleep.

As she climbed into bed, her phone vibrated on the nightstand. An Unknown number, an unknown caller.

She sighed. Probably a telemarketer. She let it ring...😪😪

The next morning, she checked her phone and saw a voice note sent to her whatsapp.

Pressing play, she frowned as she heard heavy breathing, then a weak, broken voice.

"Jade... it's me. Please pick up."

Her stomach clenched. It sounded familiar. Too familiar, oh my gosh, too familiar 😭

She checked the number again, and then it hit her.

It was her brother, Liam.

Liam, who had been out of touch for over a year.

Liam, who the family have been praying to reach.

Liam, her not so little brother.

Liam, who always called when he was in trouble. Ah, what could have happened to him, she thought..

Heart pounding, she dialed back. No answer. She called again. Sent a voice note.

A cold fear settled over her.

Hours passed before she finally got a message from an unknown number.

"Sorry, but the owner of this phone was found unconscious last night. He didn’t make it."

Jade felt the air leave her lungs. Her hands shook as she stared at the screen, trying to process the words.

And then, another text came through.

"But he kept saying your name. Over and over, until he couldn’t anymore."

She dropped the phone. The one time she ignored a call,

the one time she didn’t pick up, was the time it mattered most.🥲🥲