The saddest book I’ve ever read 😭

It’s called Red Sky In The Morning by Elizabeth Laird. It’s about this girl who’s mother gives birth to a baby boy, but he has a disability. The girl loves the boy and says she’ll never stop loving him. Then the worst possible thing happens near the end. I’m gonna say a bit of the book here. Spoiler alerts.

I think it was the cough medicine that mum gave me that roused me, without really waking me up. I heard her panicking and going to the phone. “Dr Randall, it’s Mrs Peacock here. I’m so sorry to call you this late, but it’s Ben. He’s not breathing right, and I can’t rouse him. Oh please, I’m so worried. No, my husband’s out of town. It’s just me and the kids.”

I  heard mums frantic tone, the doctor working over Ben’s cot, or the first signs of grief. Mum sat down on my bed, one word blocking out everything else. “No! No! No!”

Katy came into my room trembling. “What is it?” She said. “Why’s mum crying?”

’Bens been very ill.’ Said mum. A wild joy surged through me. Had I misunderstood? Was there still hope? I waited, my heart in my mouth, to hear what I already knew. ‘He’s gone.’ Said mum. ‘He passed away in the night.’

Now fast forward a bit. It’s sadder still 😭

I walked into Ben’s room. His spirt kind of lingered, like a perfume when it’s wearer has left the room.  ‘Respiratory failure’. I heard mum saying it to granny on the phone. I was worried that he would look anguished, choking for breath, but he didn’t. Just peaceful, quiet, and happy. I heard the pigeons outside, the ones Ben used to laugh looking at. This is what it’ll be like., I thought. We’ll miss the sound of him first. I knelt by the cot and told him things. I told him how I loved him the moment I saw him, and  he was the best brother anyone could have. I told him he’d be alright. Then my foot kicked something soft. It was his fluffy rabbit. I picked it up and put it beside him. “There you are.” I said. “Theres rabbit.” Then I kissed him, to say goodbye, and the tears started flooding down my cheeks and the lump in my throat started to melt. Then dad came in, and we cried together until there were no tears left.

Sorry that was so long! I cried a bit typing this 😭