How does someone die?

I promised myself to never make a promise I can’t keep. Nobody controls when the bell tolls for thee. “Not for a long time” is probably true and the right thing to say — spare the kid a smidge of terror, preschool thanatophobia.

But as with most things in his sphere, he’s more curious than afraid. Blank slate. Asking big questions but lacking context, lost on the follow-up, content with the small facts.

Hearts stop beating. Brains stop working. Old people’s bodies wear out and die. If someone loses all their blood in a super bad accident, they could die. If someone gets super sick, so bad they’re in the hospital, they could die.

“Let’s talk about something else,” he says.

“Okay.”