CHAPTER 98

“Girl, what’s got you so bummed out?” My co-worker, Liliana, had asked me while I was placing burgers on a tray. She stood right by me with her hand on her hip as she awaited my answer.

“My sister is probably dying of cancer, and I have to sit here and pretend that everything is okay. I just can’t stop thinking about her,” I answered honestly. She reached out and touched my shoulder. A small smile made its way onto her features. I looked over at her dark complexion and big bouncy curls that fell down her back. Liliana was a beautiful girl inside and out.

“My mom passed away from lung cancer when I was younger. She always told me to stay strong, so now I am telling you…stay strong, Anastasia,” she said, opening her arms. I walked into them, allowing her to hug me. Her hug was soothing me, calming me in every place my crying heart hadn’t stopped its weeping. It felt like the hug a mother would give their daughter, but she was my twenty-year-old friend who could make me feel more at home