The death did not break us much at all.
Perhaps it was that his process of dying was long
and consistent.
Perhaps we were not as close as we could have been.
Perhaps the love we shared was light on emotion
or has a delayed reaction built in
so that the grief has yet to be experienced.

Maybe there were earlier wounds
that made this parting easier to accept
even though he had changed dramatically
by the time of his death.

However the stiff is sliced,
we did not seem as affected at the end
as might have been anticipated.
Both my mother and I have been mildly surprised by this.
It has proven convenient, though.