The Poppy Fields

by Nikki Erlick

But I’ve learned that the heart is a very big place, with room for many loves inside. And when one of those loves is lost, sometimes it’s too much to ask all the other loves to make up for the one that’s missing. The heart needs time to reassemble itself, to learn how to beat again when a part of it is gone.

“Some days are gonna hurt more than others,” said Donna. “You did good, just getting yourself this far. But you’ve still got a road ahead of you, and it’s long and windy as hell, with switchbacks and curves that’ll make it feel like you don’t know if you’re coming or going. So, you just drive it as fast or as slow as you need, don’t give a damn what other folks think . . . Just don’t stop driving, okay?”