Thank you so much for reading this short story. This story actually means a lot to me. As someone who has been dealing with the loss of a loved one, it was therapeutic to write it. 

I lost my mom to stage 4 terminal breast cancer on Feb 7, 2019. She had been suffering from it for 10 years. At first, they thought it went away, but she relapsed to the point there was nothing they could do for her. It spread too far and too fast. 

Today is mother’s day. I thought it would be a good time to post it as honestly, I wrote this story thinking about her. I would never forget her. Regardless of how long has passed. 

Anyway, enough with the backstory on this story, so here’s the Q&A part of it:

1. Why did you name them Cole and Zain? 

I named the main character, Cole, because I wanted to convey the color contrast between Zain and Cole. Cole means like black, charcoal. But it also means “victorious.” Even so, I thought the name suited him well. As for Zain, it means beauty and grace, but some sources have it to mean “godly light.”

2. Is there a special meaning to their anniversary date? 

Yes, there is. That’s actually my mother’s birthday. 

3. How did you go about getting the cover designed?

I wanted to have it so that the ball of light symbolized the “light at the end of the tunnel.” I really like the contrast between their outfits but have the light shine more on Cole because he’s the one living instead of Zain. 

4. There’s a question that someone asked me: Is Cole really living?

The answer is up to how you interpreted the story.

Finally, I just want to say thank you for reading this short story. I honestly cried writing this, cried rereading it to edit, and cried while my friends gave me their opinions on this story. It took a lot out of me to write this. I’m still grieving, but now, I can manage my grief a bit better, especially after writing this.

Mom, if you see this, know you are missed and loved. I will go visit you on your birthday as I couldn’t bring myself to celebrate mother’s day at your grave today. Thank you for raising me, for loving me, and for making sure I was safe. Even when there were times when we fought or disagreed with one another, you were always so patient with me and never gave up hearing me out. 

I love you, Mom. I hope you are watching over me from where ever you are.