The words pierced my ears, leaving a deafening whistle behind. Even though the cup of tea stayed against my lips, I had stopped drinking it.

He stared at me as I lowered the cup to place it on the table.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," I said. "I… I didn't know about it."

"Why would you?"

His sentences were never easy to reply to. And to top it off, I wasn't used to having a conversation about such a topic.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Heart attack."

"I see…. You must have so many memories here. I guess you don't have a reason to sell your home anymore."

"Are you joking? I want to leav