Mabel(Leonardo Lezama) My name is Mabel and I have lived in Washington for as long as I can remember. I have grey hair and red lips, a combination that always catches people's attention. At 4'10, I may not be the tallest woman around, but I have a strong spirit that has helped me through the tough times.

You see, I lost my husband, Robert, 10 years ago. He was my everything, my rock. We had been married for 50 years and it felt like he was taken away from me too soon. Since then, I have been living alone in our house and trying to come to terms with the void that his absence has created in my life.

Every day is a struggle for me. I wake up each morning, feeling his absence even more keenly. I miss the smell of his coffee, the warmth of his embrace, his jokes that always made me laugh. I miss him so much, it's like a physical ache in my heart.

But life goes on, or so they say. And I have to keep going too. So, I go through my daily routine, trying to keep busy. I volunteer at the local library and spend time with my friends. But deep down, I know that nothing will ever fill the void that Robert's passing has left in my life.

It was a cloudy and rainy day when I decided to take a walk in the park. The smell of rain was refreshing and the sound of the raindrops on the trees was soothing. The park was deserted, except for a few couples who were huddled under an umbrella, trying to stay dry.

As I walked, my thoughts drifted to Robert. We used to come to this park often, especially on days like this. I could almost feel his presence beside me. I closed my eyes and let myself get lost in the memories.

Suddenly, I was jolted back to reality by a loud crash of thunder. I opened my eyes to find a young man running towards me, trying to seek shelter from the rain.

'Excuse me, ma'am. Can I share your umbrella? I don't have one and I don't want to get soaked.' He said, panting for breath.

I smiled and nodded, grateful for the distraction. As we walked, we started talking and I found out that he was a college student studying photography. He showed me some of his pictures on his phone and I was impressed by his talent.

He asked me about my life and I told him about Robert. I could see the empathy in his eyes as he listened to me. It felt good to talk to someone who genuinely cared.

As we reached the end of the park, the rain started to ease up. The young man thanked me for the umbrella and we parted ways. As I walked back home, I felt a sense of warmth in my heart. It was a feeling that I hadn't felt in a long time.

The next day, as I was working at the library, I received a call from the young man, whose name was Peter. He wanted to take me out for lunch as a thank you for sharing my umbrella with him.

At first, I was hesitant. I was an old woman and he was a young college student. But then I thought, what harm could it do? Plus, it would be nice to have some company for a change.

We met at a small café and spent hours talking. I found out that Peter had lost his mother a few years ago and he understood the pain of losing someone you love. He told me how he used photography as a way to cope with his grief.

As we talked, I couldn't help but notice how much Robert would have loved Peter. They shared the same passion for photography and their personalities were so similar.

From that day on, Peter and I became good friends. He would often take me out for lunch or to a local park to take pictures. He taught me how to use his camera and I found that I had a hidden talent for photography too.

Slowly, with Peter's help, I started to come out of my shell. I was no longer the lonely old lady living in her memories. I had a friend who reminded me of my husband and who helped me find joy in life again.

One day, as we were out taking pictures, Peter told me that he was moving to a different city for his photography internship. I was happy for him, but also sad at the thought of losing my friend.

But before he left, he gave me a photo album filled with pictures that we had taken together. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I had ever received. As I looked through the album, I realized that Peter had captured my smile, my joy, my love for life. It was a reminder that even though Robert was gone, I still had so much to live for.

It's been a few years since Peter left, and I still miss him. But I have learned to find happiness in the little things in life. And I know that wherever Robert is, he is smiling down on me, proud of how far I have come.

As I sit on my porch, watching the rain pour down, I can't help but smile. Life may have thrown me a curveball, but I have learned to adapt and find the silver lining in every grey cloud. And for that, I will always be grateful.

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