DAY FIFTEEN

My grandmother is in the hospital. She was experiencing shortness of breath and tightness of chest. I remember staying with my grandparents once when I was nine. I woke up in the middle of the night crying because I had dreamt my grandma died. Upon hearing me, she came into the guest room, the one with cherry sheets, and comforted me in true, stoic, Eastern European form. During my most recent visit, I was surprised to learn that English was not her first language. I was also surprised to discover that she does not spell her name EMILY, but rather, EMILIE

Never make assumptions.