I didn’t think I’d find myself standing on the edge of my balcony, six floors up.

I was just—wanting to escape. Things were getting overwhelming, and nothing was working. I had gotten fired from my job, my partner left me before our anniversary. My sister passed away about a week ago. It just felt like a good time to leave. Nobody would miss me. I’ve lost everything that matters to me. What was the point anymore? When I thought I was ready, my neighbor popped out of her apartment and began to talk to me.

“Rough week?” She asked. I turned to her slightly, gripping the edge tighter. You have no idea… I thought. If she knew what I was going through, I’m sure she’d feel the same way. She leaned against her railing, staring into the distance.

“You know, for someone about to jump. You seem kinda afraid.” She said. Is that supposed to help me? I thought.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I mean, you’ve been standing out here on that ledge for almost an hour now. Are you stargazing or trying to kill yourself?” She was sort of right. It’s not like I was scared. I wanted to think everything through, but at the same time I wanted to finish what I started.

“What are you trying to get at?” I said.

“How about this…” She said, blocking out my thoughts.

“If you come back onto your balcony, I’ll let you stay over at my place.” I must've liked the idea… Maybe a little too much. Or maybe I just needed someone to be around…

“You’d be okay with that?” I asked. She nodded, and with that, I climbed back around. I was surprised I was already starting to feel better. Even though she invited me, I was still shocked to see that she actually opened the door for me.

“Hi there…”

“Hi. Nice to see you up close..” Her face was very pretty. Her voice was nice too. It was a lot softer now that she didn’t have to shout over the wind.

“Come in, it’s warmer in here than the hallway.” She walked away, leaving the door open for me. I could just tell I was going to like her.

It didn’t take long for us to become great friends. I wasn’t expecting us to have so much in common, but together, we were almost like twins. Within the first hour, I learned quite a bit about her. Fortunately, she still had her sister. But regardless of that, we both lost our partners and our jobs. It couldn’t be too much of a coincidence. The more we talked, the more fond I grew of her. She seemed unnaturally cheerful, but it wasn’t super bothersome. It actually seemed like something I needed.

“I was just like you, you know?” She said, sipping on her coffee. I was confused for a moment, but then it hit me.

“How long ago-?”

“Only a couple of months ago.” She replied.

“What stopped you?”

There was a slight pause. Not one that was too much, but it was long enough.

“My sister.” She finally said. And then I realized that some people are worth living for. I wanted to know more about her. How did her sister help? My sister couldn’t help because she was in the same position as me...

“How—how’d she help? I uhm... I—I couldn’t help my sister…” She sighed, thinking of a positive way to answer my question.

“She just seemed to struggle in general. It wasn’t until I expressed my thoughts, that she actually broke down to me. And I realized that I had become her best friend, and I couldn't just leave her...” As sad as she looked, she managed to keep a smile.

“You might just become mine…” I sighed. She smiled.

We were quiet for a little while. I didn’t realize how nice another person’s presence was. We sipped our coffee, and enjoyed each other's company.

“I never actually caught your name.” I then remembered I never told her.

“Kaylah, yours?” I said.

“Sam. Nice to meet you.” She replied. Listening to her voice, I found myself relaxing, especially after what had just happened. To think that nobody cared about me, yet here she is. She’s like my—guardian angel.

Throughout the following weeks, we spent time getting to know each other. Except, the only bad thing about it was that something seemed off. She seemed off. It was scary to watch her fall. I didn’t want to lose her. Especially not after she saved me. I felt I had to do something.

I tried spending as much time with her as I could, while trying to get back on my feet. It wasn’t easy, but somehow she made it seem like I could do anything.

After hanging out almost every day, I was surprised to not hear from her anymore. I was finally feeling better, yet I was also losing someone I considered my best friend. Sure I’m in my twenties, but the word acquaintance still just didn’t sit right with me. I wanted to go over but I figured she had her reasons. I had texted her a few times, only with dry responses, or no response at that. I was worried that something had happened to her, but without hearing from her, I couldn’t tell.

It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later I grew increasingly worried and asked someone to help me unlock her door. The first thing I found was her note… It was left on her kitchen's island. I looked everywhere in her apartment for her. It wasn't until I was starting to lose hope that I eventually found her lifeless body on the floor of her bathroom, surrounded by a pool of dried blood. The security guard and I were about to throw up at the site. I decided to call her family and tell them what had happened. Next thing I knew, I was setting up her funeral. I still just don’t get it. Why’d she leave me when I needed her most? When I was at my highest... Was it something I did? I suppose now I’ll never have the chance to ask....