Mom stayed by the hospital bed all night long. When dawn finally broke the next day, she went to sign the death certificate, then called the crematorium with chilling calm to arrange for Grandma to be transported.
She held my hand and walked with me to the crematorium. Her eyes were bloodshot as she watched Grandma being pushed into the incineration chamber. Then she pulled me down to kneel with her on the ground, and we pressed our foreheads to the floor three times.
My mouth trembled as I sobbed. Grandma had always been so good to me; my heart could not accept that she was really gone.
Between ragged, choking sobs, I asked Mom, "Am I never going to see Grandma again after today?"
Mom pulled me into a soft, gentle hug and whispered, "Grandma became a star up in the sky. She'll always
