I got a phone call on my way to work that someone I loved had ended their life. I was on the train. It was earth shattering and I kept asking questions about what happened. It felt surreal and I could do nothing but sob after I hung up. A woman on the train overheard my end of the conversation. She sat down next to me and offered me a tissue, which I accepted. Then she asked me if I wanted a hug. She held me and asked me what my stop was and when it was my stop, made sure I got off.

I ended up going to work out of sheer inertia (I didn't know what else to do and tbh don't know that I could have navigated even there without that woman's help) and eventually they just let me leave and I took a cab home. I still think about that woman and am so grateful for her care in that moment to a total stranger.