By spring, Mom barely recognized anyone.Every day, she sat on the couch, holding my school jacket and talking to nothing."Vienna, dinner's ready.""Vienna, time for homework.""Vienna, I got you a new sketchbook."Her hair had gone completely gray.Sometimes she snapped out of it.She'd get up, walk to my room, and push the door open.The room was empty.The bed was still there.The desk was still there.But everything else was gone.No sketchbook.No backpack.No me.Mom stood in the doorway, staring into the empty room for a long time.Then she slowly shut the door, went back to the couch, and held my school jacket again.Her eyes were dry, but her lips kept moving.She kept saying my name."Vienna.""Vienna.""Vienna."I floated beside her and reached out one last time for her hair.This time, somehow, she felt something.She looked up at the empty space in front of her. Her eyes lit up."Vienna?"I didn't answer.My soul grew lighter.I knew it was tim
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