"Jen," Michal said when she opened her door later that evening.
"Michal, what are you doing? I don't-" Jen trailed off, trying to find some kind of way to end her thought, but nothing came out.
He looked like he had gone through something. His hair was matted and she was pretty sure he hadn't changed clothes in a couple days. An image of a hospital flashed in Jennifer's mind.
"Just - come in," she finally added, backing away from her door and letting Michal come inside.
He walked into the middle of the living room and looked around before sitting down and calling her over. Jen walked over to him, still wondering what was happening and also what he could have to tell her.
"Ok, Jen. I just wanted to explain that phone call earlier and why I wasn't there today and just - all of it," he started, making Jen feel relieved that she was going to get some answers.
"The reason that I wasn't there today was because of my mother," he started, making Jen immediately want to ask more questions, but she let him continue on.
"She's, not in the best of health, and I had just got a call that she had gotten worse at the hospital," Michal said.
"She - she has leukemia, Jen. Today it got worse and - I don't know what to do. I'm sorry I missed the date, Jen, I don't -," Michal's voice cracked as he reached out to Jen from across her couch, pulling her into a tight hug while she felt heavy sobs shudder through him.
A single tear slid down her cheek.
