My best friend since childhood

My best friend since childhood got into a bad car accident, just two days after his 17th birthday. He passed away the morning of prom.

Even now, I sometimes smell the cigars he used to smoke, and I swear I can feel him sitting on my bed. It’s been 20 years, but he still feels close.

My grandma passed in 2008. I was pregnant at the time, so she never got to meet my daughter. But one day, she came to see us. She looked like an angel, dressed all in white.

At first, I was scared, but then I felt calm. My daughter was just a little kid, about three years old, and she saw her too. I know my grandma is always around.

I’ve lost a lot of people in my 38 years, especially during high school. It was such a hard time. But losing my best friend was the worst. I know he’s watching over me, along with my grandma.

The hardest part? He was supposed to take me to prom. That was the plan. But the good part? I still feel him with me. Sometimes, I even smell his Tommy Hilfiger cologne out of nowhere.

I will never forget him. Not ever.

My grandma was the best—funny, a little wild, and she even loved Jell-O shots. I think she’s the one who plays little tricks on us. Things in the house move, disappear, and then show up later.

Sometimes, I talk to both of them. It might sound crazy, but it makes me feel at peace.