The air was crisp, and winter was finally settling in. The air smelled of snow, though I knew it would never come. Because my friend had been admitted to the hospital the night before, I’d slept at my mother’s side, holding her hand. As dawn crept over the night sky, sleep had finally overcome me. “Ringring, ringring.” It must be them, I thought, waking. Nicole’s been released from the hospital and everything’s going to be okay. As I waited for the news, my heart raced, my pulse surged. My mom talked so quietly, I couldn’t hear. But I could hear her cry, and while she spoke for only minutes, it felt like an eternity. The past five years flashed through my mind. From the first time Nicole and I met, to the many trips to Disney World we experienced together. …
