It was a strange, sweltering day that no one had ever desired would come. I was awakened by the sound of my mother's anxious and trembling voice. A single phone call was all we needed and an ounce of composure. I needed to concentrate instantly and understand what was going on. The air around me felt bizarre. A muffled familiar voice from the phone cried out, saying hospital, emergency, and Lola ― my Lola.  I struggled to rise and steady myself after having the wind knocked out of me, with only a few steps separating my mother and me. Every emotion was coursing through my veins and flowing through my head, making every motion difficult. The thought struck me that something had happened to the woman who had taught me lessons I would never have learned from anybody else had me frozen in every step towards my worried mother.