I remember the first friend I had. The memory is vague, distant, long lost in the sea of nerves and neurons that make up my brain.  

It is a bit mystifying. The way friendships dissolve like salt in water, either adding flavor or saltiness, or perhaps a bit of both.  

My first friend wasn't chosen for any specific reason. We were kids, tiny and three. One minute I was toddling around my mother's kitchen, jumping into the tall containers of water that sat by the wall.  

My mother...