I thought I had it all — a loving husband, a newborn daughter, and a best friend who felt like family. But one night changed everything. Ten years later, just when I had moved on, she showed up at my door, a ghost of the woman I once knew.
Katie and I were inseparable since school, sharing everything from sleepovers to birthday parties. Though we grew older and changed, our bond never wavered. She was the life of the party, always the center of attention. So when I got married, I expected her to joke about it, as usual. Katie and my fiancé, Dave, became friends by default, as I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
Katie stood by me during my pregnancy, helped me with my baby, and never left my side after Maya was born. She even stayed overnight to help. One evening, as we sat in the kitchen drinking tea, I asked her if she wanted a child of her own. She smiled and shook her head, “That’s too much responsibility.” But it was more than that.
