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looks away when Edgar is mentioned.  He was Dylan’s other best friend since they were all in middle school, having bonded through football throughout their middle school and high school years.
    “And how is Edgar?”
    “He’s good.  He asked about you.  I told him you were getting by.”
    “He hasn’t been down to visit since the funeral.”
    “Well, honey, it has been a hard year on everyone.  You know him and Stacy got married a couple months back, don’t you?” 
    Anna -Marie shifts her head to look at the fancy white paper stuck to her refrigerator, “Yeah, I got the invitation.”
    “You should come home sometime for a visit.  I’m sure Patrice would love to see you.”
    “Yeah, maybe.”
    As much as she misses it, Anna-Marie can’t even fathom going back to that place.  There isn’t an inch of that county that doesn’t hold a memory of a time of a different life.  As much as it hurts her, being around Dylan’s mom, Patrice, now would be too painful.  Patrice is far too much of a reminder of the son that looks so much like her, with the same penetrating sea-green eyes and dark chocolate hair falling into spiral tendrils down her back.  It’s the same as the rest of natives of her small Caribbean island that she originated from.
    Anna -Marie hasn’t seen Patrice since the funeral either.  Patrice calls her from time to time, but most of the time Anna-Marie doesn’t pick up.   
    “Well, I hate to cut it short, but I am so beat.  Do you mind if I go to bed now?”  Anna says cutting into Anna-Marie’s thoughts.
    “Not at all mama .  I think I will, too.  You can have my room.”
    “You’re still not sleeping in there?”
    “No, I can’t, which is fine because I bought a new bed and everything for the spare room.”
    “Oh.”
    “Hey mama, thanks for coming.  Despite the first part of the evening, I’m really glad you’re here.”
    “That’s what mamas are for , dear.  I love you.”
    “Love you , too, mama.”
    Ann a gives Anna-Marie a tight hug and they each go to their rooms, her mom to the master suite and Anna-Marie to the spare bedroom.
    Anna -Marie lies in bed and stares at the darkened walls like she normally does.  She really does feel better tonight.  Having her mom there makes her feel like a kid again, safe and innocent, without a care in the world, only if for one night.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
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    Anna left early the next morning to get back home to Anna-Marie’s dad.  Anna-Marie was both happy and sad to see her go.  Anna may not be her biological mother, but she is the only mom Anna-Marie has ever known, or wanted to know.  Anna-Marie can’t imagine another mother loving her as much as she knows her mom always has.  It is such a shame her parents didn’t have another child to spread the love around. 
     
    Anna-Marie had taken Peggy’s advice and has stayed home all week.  It seems to be easier to write her articles sitting on her couch in her pajamas, while pigging out on take out and sipping wine all week.  Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of such an awesome offer?  She makes a mental note to look into doing some freelance work in the future when things aren’t so hectic. 
    On second thought, at this rate I may start to get fat.   She thinks to herself as she looks around at all of the empty, or half eaten, takeout boxes.
    Her mood has been so sad and morbid these past few months.  She can’t seem to shake the depression from Dylan’s death.  All of her articles keep turning out so dismal.  It has been hard to focus on her work and write anything upbeat , as well as meet her deadlines.
    I really do need to work on that if I want to stay employed , she thinks to herself.  Peggy may be her best friend, but Peggy is her boss and she has a boss to answer to as well and Marvin isn’t as easygoing as Peggy is.
    The days go by uneventful for the most part and she finds herself working a