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2015

Before Maifts for my sisters andchair Ma chair because Mao Mari was theas if she wasin life, which led to her oftentis, you’re going to put your brain into overdrive, baby girl It’s okay to go slower so chair was a reminder for Mari to slon and take a few moments to embrace life, to not let it pass her by

Our oldest sister, Lyric, received a s ballerina When ere children, Lyric drea a dancer, but over the years, she packed that drea wild child, Lyric began to resent the idea of a career based on passion Mama lived her life in the most passionate way, and at times, thatfrom When the rent was due, we’d be packed up and off on our next adventure

Lyric and Maht all the ti as if she had toand free; we loved the adventures, but Lyric hated it She hated not having a solid place to call home, hated the fact that Mama had no structure in her life She hated that her freedoe When the opportunity came for Lyric to leave, she left our sides and went off to become a fancy lawyer I never knehat happened to the small music box, but I hoped Lyric still held on to it Always dance, Lyric, Mama used to say to my sister Always dance

My gift from Mama was her heart

It was a tiny heart-shaped geer, and I felt honored to receive it from her “It’s the heart of our family,” she told et to love fully, ether and be there for your sisters during the hard tith I know you will because you already love so loudly Even the darkest souls can find soht from your smile You’ll protect this family, Lucy, I know you will, and that’s why I’oodbye”

The necklace hadn’t left o, but that suhter inchair After Mama’s death, Mari was shaken to her core, and every belief she’d been taught about spirituality and freedom felt like a lie

“She was too young,” Mari told me the day Mama passed away She believed ere supposed to have time that was closer to forever “It’s not fair,” she cried

I was only eighteen when she passed, and Mari enty At the time, it felt like the sun had been stolen away from us, and we didn’t have a clue how to move forward

“Maktub,” I whispered, holding her close The as tattooed on both of our wrists,in life happened for a reason, happened exactly hoas meant to, no matter how painful it seemed Some love stories were meant to be forever, and others just for a season What Mari had forgotten was that the love story between a hter was always there, even when the seasons changed

Death wasn’t so that could alter that kind of love, but after Mao of her free-spirited nature, met a boy, and planted her roots in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin—all in the name of love

Love

The e that lit hu of every journey

When I moved in with Mari and her husband, Parker, I kneouldn’t be a perht hi that afternoon The late su in the shadows Parker hadn’t hearda few pieces of luggage into his gray sedan

Between his tight lips sat two toothpicks, and his navy blue designer suit lay perfectly flat against his skin with his folded handkerchief in the left breast pocket of his blazer When the day came for him to die, I was certain he’d want to be buried with all his handkerchiefs It was an odd obsession of his, along with his collection of socks I’d never seen someone iron so many handkerchiefs and socks before I met Parker Lee He told me it was a common practice, but his definition of common differed from mine

For exa pizza five days a as a common practice to me, while Parker saw it as unnecessary carbohydrates That should’ve been a big warning sign when I firstthe way A man who didn’t like pizza, tacos, or pajamas on Sunday afternoons wasn’t someone as meant to cross my path

He bent forward into his trunk and started shifting his suitcases around to make more room