He's gone

My father passed away at 9:12 this morning. We had told my mother that we would drive her out there this morning rather than her step son picking her up as he had done yesterday. I wanted her to be able to spend some time alone with him without everyone being in there. We were held up by a train on the way. When we arrived, Lori helped my mother into the wheel chair and pushed her inside as I went to park the car. When I came in, I saw them and it looked like they were waiting for me. Lori looked at me as if to call me over. I told her I had to sign in. She said this woman would like to speak to you. I stopped and walked toward her. I could tell it was not good by the look on her face but, other than that I didn't have a lot of time to give it a lot of deep thought other than whatever she was going to tell me, I didn't want her to do near my mother. I motioned for her to follow me and we walked a good five feet away. She said that she had tried to call me but I wasn't home, etc., She said that he passed away a few minutes ago. At that point, as the woman was trying to tell me more, Lori said, "She heard you." The woman immediately started to apologize but by then I was already with her and Lori. I told her I was sorry and after a few seconds she said she wanted to see him. She told me later that she had pushed the button on her watch that tells her the time when she heard the woman and it was 9:14. If the train hadn't stopped us we would have been there. I think it was a godsend we weren't. For her it would have been so much worse. I am sure my father would not have wanted her to be in that space at that moment.