I Can See How Everyone Will Die

At the diner, my daughter, Hailey Coleman, kept placing fries on my plate. "Eat up, Daddy. You've gotten so skinny."

She was only six, but she already knew how to read the room.

I had just picked up my fork when my phone buzzed again. It was a text from my ex-wife, Caroline Meyer.

"Figure out Hailey's school fees yourself. I have a car payment to worry about."

Funny how she could afford flights to Marencia, though.

I didn't reply and turned my phone face down on the table.

Right then, Hailey asked quietly, "Daddy… does Mommy not want us anymore?"

"Mommy doesn't want to be with me anymore. But she'll always be your mom."

The words sounded hollow even to me. After all, what kind of mother wouldn't even pay for her own daughter's education?

Halfway through the meal, my phone rang. This time, it was Caroline's father, John Meyer.

The instant I answered, he started tearing into me. "Listen carefully, Gavin Coleman! My daughter did you a favor by letting you walk away with nothing. The house is in my name, so don't think you're getting a single dime!

"Also, don't bring Hailey back here again! The Meyer family doesn't need a granddaughter. Caroline will be giving me a healthy grandson soon enough."

He went on for three minutes, but I never said a word. All I could think about was the line of text above his head—"62 years old. Carbon monoxide poisoning in three months."

"Cat got your tongue?" John barked.

"Yeah. Guess it did."

With that, I hung up.

By then, Hailey had already finished all her food. Her little hands were covered in grease as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Daddy, did Grandpa yell at you again?"

"No. Grandpa said he misses you."

Hailey tilted her head and thought for a beat. "But Grandpa said I was a burden last time he saw me."

Unfortunately, six-year-olds remembered everything.

…

After I paid the bill, I took Hailey's hand and walked her home.

As we reached the package lockers at the apartment entrance, my phone buzzed with a notification from a delivery app.

My application to become a driver had been approved. So, starting tomorrow, I'd be a delivery driver.

Being a security guard didn't pay enough, and the factory shifts gave me no flexibility. I wouldn't be able to pick Hailey up after school.

Food delivery was the only option that gave me flexible hours. Besides, the more I worked, the more I could earn.

When we got back to the apartment, Hailey fell asleep almost immediately.

I sat beside the bed and opened my photo gallery. Our wedding photos were still there.

Caroline had worn a borrowed wedding dress that day, her smile bright. Back then, she'd said, "Gavin, someday things will get better."

Seven years of marriage…

Just when the hard times were finally behind us, she walked away.

Without hesitation, I deleted every photo of Caroline from my phone. Then, I opened the delivery app and checked tomorrow's weather forecast. A light rain was expected.

Rainy days meant more orders. It was time to get to work.