I remember that night.
I remember it so clearly.
I can tell you where I was.
I can tell you what I was doing.
I can tell you what song was playing on the speakers.
I can also tell you how I felt when I found out.
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I knew that my phone was ringing off the hook.
I knew that Kayla, Ryan, and Flynn were probably freaking out.
I knew that everyone was probably going to kill me for basically running away.
I had set an alarm for 3:00 AM this morning and got dressed before heading for the cemetery where my family's plot was. I knew that my mother wasn't there, but I did this every year since she passed away.
I had been sitting there all day and all night. I didn't plan to move at all.
It was around 9:30 at night when I heard a quiet, "Hey."
I looked over to see Haven standing there, dressed extremely badass. She was looking at me with a soft look while her fingers played with a piece of her hair. She pushed the hair behind her ear before asking, "Can I come sit?"
I nodded softly, not saying a word.
She sat next to me and I was able to smell the scent of her perfume. It smelled like coconut and the beach. She took a deep breath and with her eyes trained on the picture of my mom, she asked, "Is that her? The lady you were drawing the other day?"
"Yes, it is."
"She's really gorgeous."
The picture was of when she was younger, about twenty-three. Her hair was long and blonde, the same color as mine. Her eyes, also the same color as mine, sparkled with laughter. She was smiling widely and laughing when the picture was taken.
I let out a choked cry before saying, "She was the most amazing person I had ever met. She was nice and kind to everyone, no matter who it was and whether they deserved it or not. She made a lesson out of everything and taught me those lessons. She always told me that these lessons were teaching me how to be a man."
I let my head fall into my arms and I felt Haven's fingers softly trace my arm. I looked up at her and found her with a broken look on her face, except for I could tell it wasn't completely for me. She was remembering something of hers.
Her eyes flicked up and she asked, "What happened to her?"
"Uh, I was twelve and she started to feel off. She didn't know what it was, but she knew something was wrong. Her mother finally convinced her to go to the hospital and get some tests done. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 Brain Cancer."
