It’s 10 pm.

Anna’s scrunchie falls out of her amber brown hair as she spins around her
living room offbeat to the sound of the music blaring from the speaker. She pushed her coffee
table and leather couch to the side of the room, leaving an open dance floor in the middle of her
home. Already 4 drinks in, she looks at Taylor and laughs. Taylor is jumping up and down, her
heels clicking every time her feet hit the hardwood floor. Taylor giggles as her curly red hair
bounces off her shoulders, occasionally readjusting the dark red laced strap that holds her dress
snuggly to her body.

In denial, Anna refills her freshly empty glass. It doesn’t take long for her to refill it
again. A line of tears rolls down her eyes as she looks at Taylor and smiles. It has been a while
since she has been able to dance with her best friend. The more Anna drinks, the more Taylor
starts to laugh and twirl around the room as the music pumps through the stereo. Her maroon
dress falls just above her knee, but as she spins it twirls to her mid-thigh. Her gold necklace with
a small butterfly pendant matches Anna’s. They’ve worn them every day for 11 years, since they
first met when they were 12 and a half years old.

Anna closes her teary eyes, trying to feel Taylor’s presence, trying to feel less alone. All
she has felt the last 2 weeks is alone. It’s 1:30 am. She spins with her hands stretched above her
head, praying for the memories not to fade away. Dizzy from all the alcohol, Anna trips over her
feet and falls to the floor. Taylor rushes over to help her, but Anna picks herself up, and they
laugh. Anne reaches out and pulls Taylor into a hug, wrapping her arms around Taylor’s neck.
Taylor rubs Anna’s back, and for a moment Anna feels her hands. Anna’s line of tears turns into
floods from the blue of her eyes as she tries to hold Taylor tighter.

“Maybe we should get you to bed,” Taylor whispers so softly it could have been
mistaken for wind.

“Not yet. I’m not ready,” Anna cries to herself.

“You’ll be okay. The heartache is only temporary,” The wind whispers again.

“I’m not ready to be alone,” Anna says through sobs as mascara runs onto the shoulder of
her tight emerald dress.

“You aren’t alone, Anna. I am here. I’ll always be here.”

Softly nodding her head, Anna slowly releases her hold of Taylor in acceptance of her
lack of sleep and heads to her room. As she walks towards her bedroom, she glances at her table,
seeing a polaroid picture, too small for a frame. It is her and Taylor in their beautiful dresses and
pulled back hair. Anna quickly tucks it into her wallet on the chair beside the table and makes
her way to her bed. She barely gets her heels off before the alcohol overcomes her
consciousness, putting her into a deep sleep.

Anna wakes up to an empty bed and a raging hangover, barely able to open her eyes to
turn off her alarm. It’s 9 am. She puts on her favorite black dress that falls just below her knees
and readjusts her golden necklace, never taking it off. In the bathroom, she puts on all her
makeup, but decided to skip mascara for today, knowing it was just going to rub off.
 Anna gets in her car and starts to drive in silence. Not wanting to reach her destination,
she stops at two different places: one for coffee and one for food. Finally, she reaches the dull
building with a full parking lot. It’s 10 am, and as Anna walks through the propped open double
doors, reality hits.

The sobriety kicks in, forcing Anna to face the truth: Taylor’s gone. She has been for 2
weeks. Anna’s legs move without thinking, slowly making her way towards the open casket at
the front of the room. She walks past Taylor’s friends, family, and co-workers, but her eyes
remain focused on the amber casket in front of her. Two steps away, now one, Anna is face to
face with her lifeless best friend, the same one who she saw dancing blissfully just 8 hours
before. Her legs give out and she falls to her knees, bringing her almost inches away from
Taylor’s closed eyes.

Through her ocean of tears, she sees a small shine coming from the casket. She wipes her
eyes to see the golden necklace wrapped around Taylor’s neck, the golden butterfly falling to the
side. Anna gently reaches into the casket and readjusts the necklace, placing the butterfly just
over her heart. Not a word is spoken. The crowd of mourning loved ones just stare at Anna’s
hopeless heartache next to Taylor’s lifeless body. Anna pushes herself up and looks at Taylor
one more time. One last time.The service starts any minute. Anna shuts her eyes harshly, pushing
out the rest of her tears, and turns to face the rest of the world. She starts to make her way to a
chair and sits through the service detailing the life of her best friend she is now forced to live
without. As the service comes to an end, Anna picks up her bag and walks to her car.

She sets her bag down on the passenger seat and reaches inside to grab the polaroid
picture of her and Taylor from when they went dancing 8 months ago for Taylor’s birthday. She
holds the picture in front of her, barely able to make out the two of them through her tears. A
picture is worth a thousand words, and a photo can bring back a hundred memories. This
photograph brings Taylor back to life, even if only for a moment. This photograph is all Anna
has left. Anna gently tucks the picture back into her wallet and grabs the butterfly chain around
her neck, feeling Taylor one more time, before driving back home and rearranging her furniture.