When I met Beth, she had already almost died…3 times. She had hair down to her shoulders, and the most twinkly eyes I had ever seen. Green-Blue eyes. Over the course of our friendship, she would lose all her hair, twice, and when it grew back, it grew back different each time. So beautiful. Did I mention she had the most twinkly eyes I had ever seen? Blue-green.
Read MoreI tried my best to hear everything and nothing at the same time.
The way you do when the news is bad.
The way you do when the news is over the phone.
The way you do when you try to place your physical body in a way that could shelter you, just in case. Not in the case of rain, as this day had a cruel sun, but in the case of the shape and angles of a Tuesday, because that’s exactly what this was.
My phone rang and I was in between my front door and my car door. The middle. Which is where I steadied myself to hear both everything and nothing with the same amount of effort. I didn’t want to be at my front door when I heard, I didn't want to be a in a doorway I am so often, and I didn't want to be inside where the walls are, because news has a way of staying in a place.
I sat down against the pillar, and turned toward the house instead of toward the street.
I slid my finger across the screen to answer the call.
And braced myself as I have always, braced myself for conversations with her.
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