Rich and I remain in my room for a couple more minutes, this was one of the only times I have allowed myself to cry over my mother. Rich holds me tightly saying it was okay to cry, but something inside me keeps saying that I’m on the job and can’t let myself breakdown. Since it happened, I’ve been so focused on working so I could be half the person my mother was, which hasn’t given me time to feel the emotions that I probably should feel.

After a few minutes, I sit up straight wiping the stray tears that had fallen. Rich smiles leaning over to my table and...