Despite the almost 75 year age difference, they were best friends. Madison’s grandma, who she called Mi Mi, was her favorite person in her world. Since she was 91 and weighed under 100 pounds, Madison’s grandma lived in her house with her in the room right next door to Madison. They often spent time after school in her room telling stories, laughing, receiving advice, and doing homework. They were inseparable and each other’s first priority. Since she could remember, Madison and her Mi Mi had a bond that she had with no one else. All of Madison’s family called them twins because they both were left handed, had freckles across their cheeks, shared similar personalities, and senses of humor. Unfortunately, as her beloved grandma began to age into her 90’s, Madison couldn’t help but notice the changes she inevitably saw. Her grandma began losing weight, coughing often, became unable to go shopping every weekend, and eventually wasn’t able to leave the house at all. It hurt Madison to watch her best friend get older and older, but regardless, she loved her just the same. For the last three months, Madison had to help her Mi Mi take baths, change clothes, help feed/prepare meals, and help her with everyday tasks that seemed so simple a few months ago because her stubborn Mi Mi refused to be helped by anyone else. Despite how much it hurt to see her once independent, strong best friend grow weaker, Madison knew Mi Mi needed her help.

*

Her grandmother had been in the hospital for a while because of some fluid in her lungs, so they scheduled a procedure to have it taken out. Mi Mi was no stranger to hospitals. Over the years, she had several heart surgeries, breast cancer, kidney surgery, and several other operations. Madison wasn’t too worried about the 20 minute procedure that was going to be taking place. Since Mi Mi wasn’t home, for two weeks Madison drove the thirty minute drive to the hospital to spend time with her Mi Mi every day for those two weeks. Although the setting had changed, their bond hadn’t.

“Your grandma is a firecracker, we absolutely adore her here!” Several nurses had said during her nightly visits. They often commented on her combing her hair and wearing bright red lipstick, with a makeup bag by her side, despite her condition. Even in the hospital, her grandmother’s sarcastic and sassy personality left impressions on everyone she met.

*
Due to an extremely busy school and work schedule, Madison found it harder and harder to spend time at the hospital. She was so busy that she wasn’t able to see her Mi Mi for three days straight. On the fourth day, Madison received a call that changed her life forever.

“Maddie?” Her mom said quickly in a hushed voice.
   

“Yes?” Madison said, not thinking much of it.
   

“Come to the hospital, quickly.” She said panicked and hung up the phone.    Terrified, Madison got into her car and took off driving to the hospital. The thirty minute drive seemed endless. The whole drive Madison played back memories from over the years. From when her grandmother bought her her very first phone to all of the shopping trips and the inside jokes they shared. She remembered when her grandmother lived in the house next door, before moving into her house. She cried as she recalled the time that her and her grandmother got into a fight and couldn’t help but regret the week she didn’t talk to her grandmother so many year ago. The memories flooded her brain as she remembered all of her memories with her very best friend.
*
   

Madison opened the door to the hospital room and felt her world crashing down around her. Her mom looked up, her eyes swollen from crying. Her once energetic grandma laid quietly in the bed, her eyes half open, mouth open, gasping for air. She was almost unrecognizable except the silver necklace Madison bought her was still on her small neck. Her grandmother was fading away before her eyes and there was nothing she could do about it. She didn’t know what to do. So many emotions flooded over Madison. She didn’t know the women in the bed. Mi Mi was brilliant and sassy and always had an opinion on everything. She was always concerned with looking fancy, she was known for her big earrings and fancy outfits. Without her dentures, her grey hair showing through her always perfectly dyed hair, no makeup, while wearing a hospital gown; For the first time ever, Mi Mi finally looked her age. As she approached the bed, she held her breath.
   

Taking Mi Mi’s hand, Madison realized her fingers were turning blue. She couldn’t believe what was happening.
    “Mom, Marissa is here now. You’re not alone.” She said through tears.
    “She can hear?” Madison asked crying.
    “Yes, but she can’t respond.”
    Madison began telling her grandma everything she could. Every few seconds she reminded her she loved her. They turned on her favorite song and held her hand, crying.
    “You’re still my best friend, Mi Mi. You always will be.” she said as she looked down at her grandmother’s blue hands.
    “Maddie, look!” her mom cried out.
    Madison looked up in disbelief as a tear rolled down her grandma’s cheek.
    “You can go, Mi Mi. We will be okay. I promise.” Madison whispered, wondering if she actually would be.

*

After what  seemed like hours, her breathing became more shallow. Her hands started to turn from blue to white as her blood circulation started to slow down. Madison held onto her grandma’s hand tightly, the ring she wore for 50 years was still on her little finger. She stared at her grandmother. Her small frame was laying still, her shallow, spaced out breaths were all that moved her. Her eyes were still half open. Madison remembered all the times she was told she had her grandmother’s big eyes. Her hospital gown was open just enough to expose the top of her chest and her several scars from all her previous heart surgeries, the necklace she had given Mi Mi covering them. Madison knew her grandmother hated the cold, so she covered her with a blanket and continued holding her hand. She laid her head down on the hospital bed and cried.

*
“Madison.” Her mom said, bringing her back to reality. Madison looked up and realized there were doctors and nurses in the room. She looked at her grandmother and realized she was no longer gasping for breaths. Her little hand was still in Madison’s, but there was no color left. She was gone. She had lost her best friend and suddenly Madison felt a hole in her heart that she knew would never be replaced. She stood up, letting go of her grandmother’s cold hand. Still in shock from what had happened, Madison took a step backwards, the room getting smaller and smaller.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” The doctor said, checking her grandmother for any signs of life. Madison sat back down, while the nurses talked to her mom about funerals and other paper work. Madison tuned it out, unable to move, think, or feel anything. When the doctor left, Madison and her mom hugged, an overwhelming realization of what had happened washing over them.

“She wouldn’t want us to see her like this, We should go.” Madison’s mom said, gathering her belongings.

*
During the funeral, Madison gave a eulogy. Her words were jumbled and she cried, but she knew her Mi Mi would’ve appreciated her words, regardless of the fact that Madison was no longer sleeping well at night.  Madison felt the weight of the world on her shoulders while she talked. It didn’t feel like she could possibly be talking about her best friend: The women who held her as a newborn, the women who helped name her, and the women who she counted on for everything for so many years. It felt as though she had been stabbed in the chest, but she wasn’t physically bleeding.

*
   

Madison opened her eyes and looked around. She was laying on the couch in Mi Mi’s room. At first she was confused, but when she looked over and saw the giant picture that was displayed at her funeral the previous week, everything came back to her. Instead of crying, Madison smiled. She looked around the cold room and stared at the wall of notes and letters she wrote for Mi Mi over the years. Although the room was cold, she had a warm feeling in her chest as she looked back on all of their memories framed in pictures on Mi Mi’s walls. Accepting the fact that she would miss her best friend for the rest of her life, Madison knew her grandmother would want to her to move forward, not hold back on anything because she lost her.