To my beautiful readers,
I know I promised a different book, but I couldn’t keep her waiting. She deserved to be remembered, even if only in words.
She was a beautiful girl, not even 14, with a laugh that could light up a hallway and a smile that reached farther than most people realize. She passed away on Monday, October 20th, after a suicide attempt the day before. I barely knew her, but I knew enough to see the light she carried — quiet, fierce, and unforgettable. Even when she fought with her brother, I knew she loved him deeply, in the little ways only a sibling could notice.
She will never get to experience the milestones life holds — the first day of high school, first crushes, late-night laughter with friends, graduations, weddings, children of her own. The small moments that make life messy and beautiful, the moments we take for granted — she will never see them. And that is the cruelest thing: someone so bright, so full of potential, taken too soon.
This story is for her. To remember her, to honor her, to keep her alive in memory. And to anyone reading this — I never want anyone to feel so alone or hopeless. Please reach out to someone you trust. Talk to a friend, a family member, a counselor — anyone. And if you reach out to me, know that I will always try to help, always listen, and always reply as soon as I can. You matter. You are not alone.
This is for her. For the beautiful girl who left too soon, whose life mattered, and whose laughter still lingers in memory.