Not ever going through the loss of a loved one, Zevira couldn't really say she knew what it was like. But she watched movies and TV and knew it was hard. So what did she do? She told her mom. Her mother knew everything. It was like she was some kind of all-knowing creature of the universe. Zevira had told her mother that Simon had been in an accident and died, saying this with tears in her eyes because death was painful and she felt guilty for never having met him despite spending so much time in the room he had lived in. Her mother told her to accept that it happened, to grieve, and then help those who were impacted the most. Like Vinnie. But Vinnie didn't want to talk. She told this to her mother as well. In return her mother told her to give him space because men typically did not like to grieve in a group. It hurt their pride and made them feel less of a man if they were to cry in front of others.
So Zevira sat back and worked on other things, all the while worried about Vinnie. He was doing things she wouldn't have liked, at least not when it came to the idea of smoking or drinking. She had never tried either and personally believed she wouldn't be able to pass judgment, anyway--should she have known, of course. But she didn't know and therefore it didn't matter. As long as Vinnie was okay! That was what mattered most to her.
Sometimes she would text a little "hi" just in hopes he would respond and she knew he was still breathing. But she tried her hardest to give him space, time. How much was enough? Zevira hoped her treats and invitation weren't too soon. She was concerned about that. Still, when he replied and sounded excited, she felt like it might all be okay! When he turned up at her door teasing her, Z couldn't stay seated on her bed. Springing to her feet she took a handful of quick steps up to Vinnie, looked him in the face and said, "I almost forgot what you looked like," in a teasing manner. She couldn't stop smiling.
Then she hugged him and hoped he felt all of the love and faith she had. Everything would be okay.