The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments

by Hadley Vlahos

Maybe sometimes people didn’t need more—maybe, sometimes, they needed…less. Maybe sometimes all they needed was a little bit of comfort.

The only thing my mom said to me on the ride home was, “I won’t judge you and I won’t push my personal beliefs on you. If you want to keep it, I’ll love it. If you don’t want to, I’ll take that secret to the grave.”

Elizabeth looked me dead in the eyes and said, “I felt like I had to tell you this because I see myself in you. I never anticipated dying at forty. I always thought I would have more time. I wish I would have spent more time with my loved ones. I wish I’d just eaten the damn cake.” “That’s good advice,” I said softly. “Eat the cake.” “Eat the cake,” she repeated, lying back in her bed.

Over time, she went from being able to speak twenty words to under ten, to fewer than five, to just one word: “John.”

Allison lovingly grabbed Lily’s hand and stroked her fingers, repeating over and over, “You made it, Lil. You made it to the beach. I love you. You made

To my husband. I had been told my entire life that my dreams were too big. Then I met you, and you told me to dream bigger.