I’ll never forget that January.

January.

The letters. They’ve stopped coming! Why?

I buried my hands in my head and wept.

Grandma,

I miss you so much. I am so sorry I haven’t written in a long time, but please write back! I’ll write longer, I promise! Please? I haven’t gotten your letter for this week and I miss it. I hope you are OK. I’ll probably be up soon!

I love you.

Hellen

I take this one and put it in an envelope with some stickiness on it.

I want to mail it, but it’s like I can’t wait anymore.

I miss…I don’t know what I miss.

January.

So cold, lonely. Shaking, I pick up the phone.

The letters.

The last one didn’t come.

I had to call.

“Hullo.”

“Grandma!” I yelled into the phone, excited to hear her voice.

“Hoi.”

“How are you? I missed you! I didn’t get a letter last week. Did you get mine?”

“No.” She said.

“Oh, I sent it.”

“Maybe it got lost. Is your Mom not home?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Oh. I thought that’s why you called.”

“No Grandma! I just called to talk to you! I miss you” I said.

“Your Dad came to shovel out the driveway, and your aunt Donna is here.”

“Aww. Grandma, are you doing OK? It’s very cold. You be careful.”

“Grandma will be OK. God takes care of all of us you know.”

I smiled. “Yes, I know.”

“I seen the squirrels. They’re up and down, after the birdseed.”

“Oh how fun!”

“Your dad’s just coming in. I’d better go see what he wants.”

“No, don’t leave!”

“We’ll talk some more next time/ I don’t want to have you raise your phone bill.”

“Grandma, I’ll be OK! I love talking to you!”

“Grandma’ll still be here. I’ll talk to you later.” she said.

“I love you Grandma.”

“I love you too.”

“Take care of yourself.”

“I will.”

“Bye.”

“Buh Bye.”

“…the number you’ve dialed has been disconnected. Please…”