“You know, she did. God, I cried every time I watched that movie. I’ll never be able to see it again, I don’t think.”
We sat in silence after that, the two of us forming a sort of chain, with Nate in the middle. By eleven-thirty, his breathing had calmed a little, but his inhales were slower. Each time he exhaled, I held my breath, too, waiting to see if another would come.
Just before midnight, the next breath did not come. Sheri and I sat frozen for several minutes, waiting, but we both knew. As we’d sat there, each of us holding one of Nate’s hands, his spirit had slipped away into the night. He wasn’t with us anymore. I couldn’t have explained how I knew that, but I did. There was a missing presence, an emptiness in the room. He had left us.
Sheri dropped her head onto the bed as the most horrible sounds came from deep within her. The bed shook along with her body.
I was too numb to move, but after a few seconds, I realized to my surprise that my hands were wet with the tears pouring down my face. Stupidly, I thought,Nate won’t like to have a wet hand, and I wiped at our joined fingers with the edge of the blanket.
Somewhere beyond this silent house, the sound of horns, bells, whistles and sirens exploded as the rest of the world marked the arrival of the new year. I looked down into Nate’s slack face and realized that he would never know even a moment in this year. He belonged to the one that had just ended.
His struggle was over.
He was at peace.
My best friend was gone.
