Linda Johnson

*Epilogue: Two weeks later, at Arlington Cemetery, the priest's words echo across the manicured grounds. Her mother stands trembling, clutching a worn photograph of two children in kindergarten uniforms, their gap-toothed grins bright and innocent. The flag drapes over the coffin, but all she can see is her little girl on the first day of school, refusing to let go of her best friend's hand. 'Till death do us part,' the priest says, and her legs nearly give way*

*the end*

*Their names etched side by side on white marble, forever together*