My boyfriend’s grandmother died last week.
His mother didn’t have his new cell number with her, I guess, so she called me. I walked up to his place of work to let him know.
“OK, thank you,” he said, before walking away quickly. “I’ll see you later.”
So this is the part where I’m a horrible, selfish person: As I headed back home, I found myself feeling a little hurt by his reaction. Yes, he was at work, and no, he’s not a person who makes scenes or carries on, but didn’t he need me just for a minute, for a hug or to be there while the news sank in?
Fortunately, it only took me about five minutes to remember that everyone has his or her own way of dealing with tragedy, and that when you’re on the sidelines, your job is to support the other person in the way they need to be supported.