Twelve Years

Twelve years ago, on the bluest morning hour of May 11, Uyen Hegman slipped away from us, having lost her battle with cancer. She slipped away quietly as the stars shuffled on to make way for the unstoppable light of the next day.

I woke this morning from a dream in which Uyen returned from her long absence. She found me so she could show me an alabaster castle she had purchased, but the dream proved all too fleeting.

Mostly, I remember that smile of hers.

Uyen in California (1987)

Uyen in Huckleberries (2005)

—Mitchell Hegman