She could feel that the air was cool and crisp when she awoke that morning.  The April breeze  from her window had chilled her tear stained cheeks. Her eyes felt hot and puffy from another night of crying. This was the new norm for Laurel. As she lay under the layers of her patchwork quilts, she pondered how it was, that this, was her life now. Just a month ago her life was perfect. She had everything she had ever hoped for. God had blessed her with a beautiful family, a wonderful career and an indestructible faith in God. But that was all stripped away now.

She watched her thin gauzy curtains above her blow in the cold breeze. Laurel hesitated getting out of bed. She thought of the coldness that would sting when she removed the warm quilts. Tightness radiated through each muscle as she pulled herself up to sit. She could remember when she was 22 and would jump out of bed and feel excited to start a new day. She missed those blessed days. She missed when she couldn't wait a moment beyond rising to talk with Mark. She remembered her youth with fondness. She loved how she felt when she and Mark were falling in love. Full of life, excited to meet the next chapter life would write, and bursting with exuberance. Laurel knew those days were all history now.

When her feet hit the cold wood floor, she unexpectedly felt the smoothness of a kitty on the backs of her calves. She looked down from her sore eyes to see the cat that Mark had brought home last January, as a birthday gift for Sarah.

"Poor Sarah. I wish she were here to take care of her kitty," Laurel thought with sadness overtaking her.

She picked up the skinny black cat Sarah had named Trinket. It started purring when Laurel stroked its back, but the purring brought no solace to her heart. She put the lonely cat back on the floor and stood up.

Upon standing,  the coldness of the bedroom stung her naked arms and legs. The robe that had been dropped on the floor the night before felt nice as she slid it on. When she peered out her open window, she saw the dainty pink blossoms on the apple tree. So pretty. But its beauty wasn't the same this year. The intense sadness in her heart numbed all emotion. She remembered all the years prior when she felt such giddiness to wake on those late spring mornings and see the world in all its blossoming glory. Laurel felt sad that her happiness was dead.