My Last Kiss

Who was your last kiss with?
Was it memorable?

My son and I are in Pennsylvania visiting a dear, dear, dear friend of mine named Julie. Jules and I have been friends for about 14 years. We met through a St. Louis homeschool group so long ago and simply enjoyed one another so much that we have remained friends all of these years, though she and her family moved to Pennsylvania about five years ago. Our sons are also very good friends.

Julie is a very unique woman. She and I are so very very different, primarily in our social comfort levels. I'm hugely comfortable in social situations and Julie would rather not. (Though every single party I've ever been at with her she is delightful!) But her preference is that she can't even.

I say this mostly because she has never hugged me or outwardly expressed her love for me. But I have always know it anyway.  I usually say, I love you and I know that you love me.
She'll shrug and say yeah.

A few weeks ago Julie got news that she has breast cancer. Yes, BOOM, life changes. She had several weeks until she could see her oncologist for more information, so three weeks of fear, not knowing, fatalism, expectations, planning for the worse, complete freaking out, and general depression...which she mainly kept to herself. 

She told me about a week ago about the diagnosis, a few days before her visit to the oncologist. John and I immediately prepared to drive up the day he finished his final in his course at school. We left two hours after he completed the test and then we drove through the night to get here to Pennsylvania. That was Tuesday, the day of her visit to the oncologist.  

By the time we arrived in the greyish morning, she already knew about her cancer. It is the "good" kind. She will not have to undergo chemo or radiation or any other treatment than a couple of medications by mouth. She will keep her hair. Her prognosis is great. 

When I arrived, she hugged me and kissed me.