*Jane*

“It was so good to see you,” Mom says, squeezing me tightly. “I couldn’t be prouder.”

The lump in my throat makes it harder to speak, so I just nod, hugging her back. “I’m gonna miss you.”

And I realize even as I say it just how much I’ve missed her in the time before she came to visit.

Having my mom stay nearby for the past week and seeing her every day only reminded me about why I was ...