�Tara?� came a voice from the doorway. She looked up, and saw her prayers had been answered. Alyson and Siobhan were rushing towards her, and in seconds had enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug
�Ally, I�m so scared. So scared.� Tara sobbed into her friend�s shoulder.
�Shh, I know, honey. It�s all going to be okay. Shh, honey. What�s going on?� Alyson asked.
�I�ll go ask the nurse.� Karen Arintero said. She�d come up behind them, and after a long look at Tara, she went to the nurse�s desk across the hallway.
�Al-Ally, Nana�s d-dead. She�s g-g-gone. Papa�s in su-surgery and I d-dunno...� Tara was heaving and hiccuping and it seemed to Alyson that she was having trouble breathing.
�Shh, sweetie. Siobhan�s mom will find out where they all are okay. Just calm down, honey. Breathe, breathe, deep breaths, okay?� Alyson soothed her friend, rocking her back and forth. In all the eleven years she�d known her, she�d never seen Tara this upset.
�Wh-where�s Maddi and...and Kennedi?� Tara asked, hiccuping.
�They stayed at my house with Ari, Kendra, and Peyton.� Alyson explained, naming her youngest siblings and Kennedi�s little sister, �But they send their love and hugs.� Alyson pulled Tara in tighter, rubbing her back and stroking her hair.
Siobhan watched silently. Tara seemed to not even notice that she was there. Or perhaps she did, as she didn�t mention her name when she�d asked where their friends were. Suddenly Tara reached out and pulled Siobhan into the hug. Siobhan relaxed, holding her friend of two and a half years tightly.
* * * * *
Tara clutched Alyson�s hand as she listened to the minister talk about her grandmother. Siobhan rubbed her back from the other side. She looked down the row at Madison and Kennedi and then back at the minister. Her mother, father, and grandfather sat in front of them, her mother�s leg in a large cast. Her parents had gotten away with just a bump on the head for her dad and her mom�s broken leg. Her grandfather had mostly internal injuries that were easily fixed by surgeons. Her grandmother hadn�t been so lucky. She�d taken full impact of the other car and had died instantly. Tara choked back a sob, and felt Alyson�s grip on her hand tighten. She was so glad her best friends were here with her. She knew the minute Alyson and Siobhan had come to her four nights ago that they were going to last forever. She was ready for whatever life threw at them, because nothing was stronger than their friendship. Over the past two and a half years- eleven years with Alyson- they�d formed an unbreakable bond that could never be severed. Tara looked over and saw Kennedi smiling at her. She�d only known Kennedi for a year, yet she knew her almost like she knew Alyson. Tara smiled wanly, and mouthed, �I love you.�
�I love you.� Kennedi mouthed back, and Tara turned back to the minister, not ever loosening her grip on Alyson�s hand. Friends. They were forever and ever.
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