Welcome to the grief club

In May, my family’s life changed forever. We lost my aunt—a mother, daughter, sister, and friend. While nothing has been officially confirmed yet, it appears that domestic violence may have taken her life.
The day my cousin called to tell me, I completely shut down. I lost my voice. My body hurt like I’d been in a car accident. I couldn’t stop crying, I couldn’t speak, and I was in complete shock.
When I spoke to her husband, he coldly said, “She is dead.” There was no compassion. He wouldn’t tell us where she was. We didn’t even know where her body had been taken. Instead of helping our family, he cut off communication with us and hired a lawyer, leaving us desperate for answers while trying to process an unimaginable loss.
That day, I had to tell my dad that his sister was gone. I had to call the morgue myself and give them our shared name to find out if it was really true. I didn’t believe what I was being told—how could I? We barely knew this man. They had only been married a short time, and for years we knew him as someone who struggled with alcohol and was abusive.
The pain of that day is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. No family should ever have to receive a phone call like that or search for answers while trying to process unimaginable grief.
As we continue to wait for the investigation to provide answers, we’re holding on to our memories of my aunt and doing our best to support one another through a loss that has forever changed our family.

I am so sorry for everyone else who is experiencing a situation similar to my family’s. ❤️