"
Did you get the news?" He asks softly to his wife.
"A few moments ago" was the diminished reply.
Her phone falls from her hand with a light thud onto the grass-padded ground. "She... she was... only a couple of weeks old."
He sits next to her, his head reeling. One moment ago he was so happy his daughter had given birth to their first grandchild and the next...
His voice cracks, "At lea... at least... they're together."
Suddenly his wife throws her head against his chest and begins to cry in earnest. He holds her close. His tears can't be contained either and they weep together. Onlookers rush by, the hustle and bustle of a city in turmoil rushing obliviously around them.
Their grief relents a moment, He feels a sting in his throat and gives a little cough. At the same time his wife stifles a sneeze.
They look at each other.
"Perhaps it won't be long before we see them again." She whispers as she picks up her phone.
They hold each other again for a time. Then they walk away slowly... leaving the bench bearing the gifts meant for a child who would no longer need them.