Even now, whenever she visits and I find myself smiling, I remember the quiet girl who sat beside me when no one else could—and how, in the darkest moment of both our lives, her simple, unwavering kindness changed everything.

Slowly, things began to change.

She would share small things—notes from class, a quiet joke scribbled in the margin of a notebook, a simple “Are you okay?” on days when the weight of everything felt too much. She never pushed, never demanded more than I could give. But she was always there, steady and certain in a way that made the world feel a little less overwhelming.

Then came the moment that truly mattered—the one I didn’t realize would stay with me forever.

It was one of the worst days of my life. The kind of day where everything feels like it’s falling apart all at once. I remember sitting there, trying to hold it together, hoping no one would notice how close I was to breaking.