Dad
On July 4, just as Dylan and I were walking out the door to meet my brother and his wife Angela at a pool party at our friend Jennn's apartment, my phone rang. It was my sister, Adrienne, and I answered with glee - hearing from my little sister is always special and since it was a holiday, I was very excited to hear what her and her husband and kids were doing. But the second I heard her voice, I could tell that something was wrong. She immediately told me that mom had just called her, that she said she thought dad had just had a stroke, and he was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. The sense of dread that invaded every fiber of my being hit me like a semi truck. Adrienne asked if I was going to see Brandon, and I said I was on my way to see him now, so she asked that I relay the message to him. He wasn't answering his phone for either of us so I decided to go and tell him in person. As we left our building, I told Dylan, "I don't think I can handle this if an