It all started with a simple problem: my washing machine was leaking. I called a repairman, and in less than an hour, the leak was fixed. I paid him, thanked him, and thought that would be the end of it.
Then he handed me a small, folded piece of paper. His hands were shaking. His cheeks pink. “Please call me. It’s about someone you know,” it read.
I almost threw it away—but something in his nervous eyes made me pause.
The Call That Changed Everything
The next day, I called the number. “Hi, this is…uh, the washing machine lady,” I said awkwardly.
“Do you know Felix Deren?” he asked. My heart stopped. Felix Deren was my ex-husband.
“I—yes. Why?”
“I’m his son,” the young man said quietly. His name was Ruben. My mind spun. I hadn’t heard from Felix in seven years. And now…he was gone. Felix had passed away in February.
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