Aftershock

After what seemed like an eternity, Asher slowly hung up the phone. It slipped through the loose grip of his hand and hit the hardwood floor with a loud slap. The noise was efficient in snapping him out of the trance he was in. After enduring the wails of his sister, he remembered a passage from one of the stoics, whether it was Seneca or Epictetus, he could not remember. Essentially, it was about trying not to give into grief so you can console others who are grieving. Though still not able to come to terms with the reality of his brother's untimely departure from this world, Asher knew that the responsibility should fall to him to try and subdue the aftershocks of this trauma. With Petra seemingly paralyzed by the pain, Asher knew that he needed to act. The first thing he did was make a call to the department head of his university, informing her of the news. He was immediately granted an indefinite period of bereavement to deal with the trauma and all of the after death arrangements.

Fritz Von Trapp was the eldest of the three Von Trapp siblings, and he too was a successful academic. For the past six years he had resided in the southwest German town of Heidelberg, working as a professor of philosophy at the country's oldest university: Heidelberg University. On a sabbatical in his late twenties, he had discovered this magical town and never wanted to leave it. A large castle, partly destroyed from centuries of battle, sat perched on a large hill overlooking the fachwerk buildings, cobblestone streets, and the tranquil Neckar River that ran through the middle of town. He fell in love with the fresh loaves of bread from the bakeries, the ability to walk just about anywhere he needed to go, the large glasses of cold Dunkel, the crispy and tender jägerschnitzels, and the quick access to nature that so many cities lacked. Heidelberg was a fairytale for Fritz, and like any good fairytale, it was also where he fell in love with a beautiful woman. 

Antonia Beck had been working as a barista at Strohauer's Café, located in Heidelberg's historic downtown area called the Altstadt. Fritz Von Trapp would frequent this café multiple times a week, always ordering the same milchkaffee and pouring over the works of Nietzsche, Kant, and Foucault. Eventually he worked up the courage to ask Antonia out after spending multiple months trying to build surface level rapport with her. On their first date, at the elegant Restaurant zur Herrenmühle, he discovered that she was an aspiring violinist, which was his favorite instrument besides the piano. Antonia's long golden hair, unsuspecting curves, disarming feminine smile, and musical talents had Fritz falling head over heels for her. She too was attracted to Fritz, lured in by his distinguished aura, his manners, and his handsome features. It did not take the two long after dating to realize they were meant to be together.

Soon the two were married, and on their honeymoon to the Amalfi Coast of Italy, they accomplished their goal of conception. Nine months later, their daughter Mia was born. The couple felt blessed by God; they were over the moon to bring such a beautiful angel into existence. However, their fairytale life turned to tragedy not long after. Antonia had grown sick. She was diagnosed with brain cancer, losing the battle before Mia's first birthday. Antonia's death had broken Fritz; he had been suffering from a deep depression for a long time. Asher had done his best to be there for him, but he knew that Mia was Fritz's only reason for powering through the darkness. However, Asher understood that Fritz had been unwell for a long time, and without any knowledge yet regarding the cause of death, he couldn't help but think that it may have been self-inflicted. 

Before Asher let himself grieve, he had to make sure that Mia was taken care of. He took out his phone and looked to see when the next flight to Frankfurt was. There was one at 4pm that afternoon flying out of JFK. Without even looking at the price, he booked a one-way flight and began to pack his bags. He threw in random articles of clothing, his laptop, and a random Harlan Coben book that a recent date had brought over for him. Though he was not terribly concerned for Mia's safety at this point, knowing there was a nanny employed by the family that took great care of her, he felt that he must get to Germany as soon as possible. He shot Petra a quick text to let her know his plans.

Asher remembered that one of his friend's had left a half-empty pack of L&M cigarettes at his place not long ago, and he decided that having one might ease his mind. He grabbed all his belongings and made his way down through the narrow stairwell of his apartment building, banging his suitcase off the wall every few steps. Once outside he booked his Uber to the airport and lit up one of the cigarettes that had been collecting dust in his apartment for the last couple of months. After a few drags, he had gotten lost in his own thoughts. The Uber driver pulled up, rolling down his window to confirm that Asher was the one in need of a ride. Asher did not hear him; he was lost in his own world, not realizing where he was until the filter of the cigarette began to burn his fingertip. By then, the Uber driver had cancelled the trip and drove off. Asher proceeded to light another cigarette and order another Uber. This time he got in.