一年后，我32岁，是三个漂亮孩子的母亲，但我被确诊为乳腺癌，这让我极端恐惧。癌细胞已经扩散到我的淋巴腺。从统计数据来看，我的时间不多了。手术后，我拜访了亲朋好友，他们尽量宽慰我，都不知道说些什么好，有些人反而说错了话，另外一些人则为我难过，还得我去安慰他们。我始终没有放弃希望。

One day, Jack stood awkwardly in the doorway of my small, darkened hospital room. I waved him in with a smile. He walked over to my bed and without a word placed a bundle beside me. Inside the package lay several bulbs.

就在我出院的前一天，我看到门外有个人影。是杰克，他尴尬地站在门口。我微笑着招呼他进来，他走到我床边，默默地把一包东西放在我旁边，那里边是几个球茎。

"Tulips," he said.

“这是郁金香。”他说。

I grinned, not understanding.

我笑着，不明白他的用意。

He shuffled his feet, then cleared his throat. "If you plant them when you get home, they’ll come up next spring. I just wanted you to know that I think you’ll be there to see them when they come up."

他清了清嗓子，“回家后把它们种下，到明年春天就长出来了。”他挪挪脚，“我希望你知道，你一定看得到它们发芽开花。”

Tears clouded my eyes and I reached out my hand. "Thank you," I whispered.

我泪眼朦胧地伸出手。

Jack grasped my hand and gruffly replied, "You’re welcome. You can’t see it now, but next spring you’ll see the colors I picked out for you. I think you’ll like them." He turned and left without another word.

“谢谢你。”我低声说。杰克抓住我的手，生硬地答道：“不必客气。到明年长出来后，你就能看到我为你挑的是什么颜色的郁金香了。”之后，他没说一句话便转身离开了。

For ten years, I have watched those red-and-white striped tulips push their way through the soil every spring.

转眼间，十多年过去了，每年春天，我都会看着这些红白相间的郁金香破土而出。事实上，今年九月，医生已宣布我痊愈了。我也看着孩子们高中毕业，进入大学。

In a moment when I prayed for just the right word, a man with very few words said all the right things.

在那绝望的时刻，我祈求他人的安慰，而这个男人寥寥数语，却情真意切，温暖着我脆弱的心。

After all, that’s what friends do.

毕竟，朋友之间就该这么做。