"Sometimes I think of calling back that high school friend, the one who asked me how much of my life my mother's death would affect, anyway. And with the certainty of twenty-four years, I would tell her: Everything. It affects everything. When a mother dies, a daughter grieves. And then her life moves on. She does, thankfully, feel happiness again. But the missing her, the wanting her, the wishing she were still here - I will not lie to you, although you probably already know. That part never ends.
