adult children , yet a “ do not resuscitate ” order was signed by someone who identified herself as his domestic partner . She could imagine the uproar in that household between the girlfriend and his kids . There was probably money to argue over , maybe a big house , cars , every corpse had a story .
Outside , the thick snow came down in torrents , zigzagging against the gusts of wind . Few cars , if any , ventured out , and so Callie didn ’ t expect her shift would end at its usual time , and she didn ’ t expect anyone to come in and relieve her until the storm subsided and the trucks salted the roads . As she was making notes on Mr . Kramer ’ s chart , there was a sound from down the hallway . Some sort of music broke through the morgue ’ s eerie silence and echoed in some hollow sort of way . A song . So familiar . The memory , like a puzzle , came to her piecemeal . What was it ? Where was I ? Callie stopped writing and listened . The beat was constant and repetitive . The past starting to break through as it played . Yes , she remembered . She was at the prom , alone . Wanted to go just so she could say she was there . The dance floor filled with couples dressed in black tie and glitter as Callie hugged the wall and watched . Then Oliver , her secret high school crush who ’ d barely ever said two words to her , walked toward her and asked her to dance . She felt as if she was floating as he took her hand and led her to the center of the floor . Everyone else stopped dancing and made a large circle around them . Callie had never felt such joy . Oliver , looking so handsome in his tux ,
25