Andi’s Special

Heather was a bartender and my daughter, Charlie’s, friend. I met Heather when she was working at Moore’s Bar. She became my friend too. When I met Heather, she had been fighting breast cancer but was in remission. 

One night a few years ago, I walked into the bar and asked Heather if she would make me something different to drink. I didn’t want anything pineappley or coconuty. But I wanted sweet. So she came up with something that became my favorite drink. It was known as Andi’s Special. Every time I came in, I’d ask for it by name and she’d make it. I kept the recipe on my phone in case I had another server. I even asked for it in other restaurants and bars. I’d show my recipe and they’d make it for me if they had all the right alcohol. But no one ever made it quite as good as Heather.

Heather left Moore’s to work at another bar in town. She had a harder time making the Andi’s Special there because they didn’t have all the alcohol. (There are four kinds, if you hadn’t noticed. Wink, wink.) Substitutions just didn’t cut it. So I started drinking Apple Crown and cranberry juice. 

Sadly, Heather’s cancer came back but in other places. She had one setback over another. The cancer seemed to spread like wildfire, ending up in her brain. 

She has fought with such strength. She’d be hospitalized and then go back to work, only to be hospitalized again. She wanted to work. She needed to work. 

A couple of months ago, Charlie flew home to visit with Heather as she was recuperating at home. Heather and her mom still considered the possibility of Heather returning to work. Charlie visited her a couple of times before she had to fly back to Florida. 

Heather had a huge setback and was moved to a long term health care facility a few weeks ago. I visited Heather last Saturday. She was in and out of sleep, but communicated with me in-between.

A couple of days ago, Charlie told me that they were giving Heather 3-4 days. Charlie booked a flight. But yesterday morning, August 27th,  Heather’s mom told Charlie that Heather had passed. Heartbroken, Charlie canceled her flight.

Heather will be missed by her family. She leaves behind two young adult children. And she leaves behind friends. 

Heather fought cancer with all her strength for a few years. Eventually, it was just too much. I’d like to say she didn’t suffer but that is an untruth. She did. Another one of my questions of why. 

I will remember Heather with compassion. She was a great friend to my Charlie girl. And she gave me fun memories of the Andi’s Special. 

♥️

Andi