I was cooking dinner when we got a call from some strangely related relative in California. My great cousin once removed or something. My great aunt moved in with her some time back because of her health issues. She's like 85, had a stroke this past summer, and various other longstanding problems. She's in the hospital now.
The way my mother spoke while on the phone, and the way she exploded into tears had me thinking the worst. And she didn't care to correct me.
I started bawling over my omelet on the stove and it took her 3 minutes of cry-laughing at me to tell me my great aunt isn't actually dead. Yet. She could be soon, but for those few minutes I thought she was already gone.
She's the only relative I have who has ever shown me unconditional love and not judged me for being different. I don't count my cousin, who I love dearly, because he's mentally challenged and unable to judge people's characters.
She's loud. She's eccentric. She's amazing and awesome and fun. I love her so much. Like could you maybe have told me earlier that she hasn't kicked the bucket yet. I went through an emotional rollercoaster in far too short a time. hell, man....