ERNIE AND ERNESTINA: The Writer, His Wife, and their Afterlife

Book One, Part Two, Chapter 171: Terrified

Later that night, Christy calls again. “We’ve talked it over. Joshua has decided to postpone coming in for another few days.”

“I’m sorry I said what I did. It wasn’t wise.”

“No, it wasn’t. It triggered his symptoms. You have to watch what you say to him. He’s in an extremely fragile state of mind.”

Christy gives the phone to Joshua.

“I’m just now able to walk outside without dogs and cars scaring me. On my walk today, I looked a dog in his face and said to myself: Why be scared of him? And cars. Why be scared of cars? They’re just moving objects. But what if I have a panic attack on the plane? The plane’s confining. I can’t open a window. Flying scares me, anyway.” He pauses. “I’m terrified of the seventh of December.”

The seventh of December is the first anniversary of Ernie’s death.

The seventh of December is this Friday.