Exactly three years have passed since then. The hospital bed and oxygen machine are long gone. The medicines and nurses are gone， too. But Mom' s still here. And so is Otto. And so is the bond that united them in days of sickness.
When we saw the oncologist a while ago， he patted himself on the back. "I can' t believe it， Lula， " he said."I can' t find your cancer and your heart is strong. When your daughter brought you to me， I thought you were a ship that had sailed." We let the doctor think what he likes， but Mom gives the credit to Otto.