A Pause That Cost Everything

He almost didn't answer the phone. That pause cost him everything. It was a normal

Tuesday, late meeting, low battery, unknown number. He stared at the

screen, let it ring. The call stopped. Five minutes later, a voicemail appeared,

one sentence. "Call me back. It's urgent." He didn't. He finished his

meeting instead. An hour passed, then two. When he finally checked his phone

again, there were six missed calls, same number. This time,

he called back. Straight to voicemail. The call was from the hospital. His father had asked

for him. He arrived 20 minutes too late. Some calls don't ring twice.