Just a Little Too Late
I took out my phone and scrolled to the one photo in the album where Mom was actually smiling.
Finally, the boarding call came.
Outside the window, Northbridge shrank smaller and smaller behind the plane.
I leaned against the glass and closed my eyes. Mom's voice drifted up in my memory, as clear as if she were beside me.
'Ted, sweetheart. Life's like riding a train. Some people get on, some people get off. Don't let it weigh on you too much.'
She was right. Mom had gotten off first. Chloe had reached her stop, too. Now, it was my turn to move on to whatever platform came next.