Call your mom today. Hug her. Tell her you love her.

Justin Hardee would — if he had the chance.

“I would give anything back just to have another day with my mom,” the Illinois wide receiver said. “Unfortunately, I can’t.”

The closest Hardee can get to her now is at a cemetery. One down the street from where he grew up in Cleveland.

It’s where Estella Perryman is now. Now and forever.

Hardee’s 55-year-old mother died Dec. 12 after a lengthy struggle with lung disease.

“That’s definitely one of the first things I’m going to do when I get home from break is go there and see my mom,” Hardee said before final exams start this week.

He still does. When he falls asleep. When he has a good workout. Does well at practice. Gets a good grade.

He takes out his phone, scrolls through the contacts and finds her number. Wants to hit the call button but doesn’t.

How often does Hardee think about his mom?

“All the time,” he said. “There’s not one day that passes that I don’t think about my mom. It’s crazy because I didn’t think there could be a way I could miss a person that much. Sometimes when I fall asleep, sometimes I talk to her in my dreams, and that makes my day so much better knowing that I can still talk to her.”

Even though she’s gone. And isn’t coming back.

Last meeting

It’s the day after Illinois endured a bad 42-3 loss against Michigan State on Oct. 26.

Hardee didn’t contribute much on that Saturday. He had a special teams tackle.

The loss stung Illinois. Hurt the team’s bowl chances and extended its losing streak to three games.

All of that wasn’t on the mind of Perryman.

She was in Champaign-Urbana for her only game last season.

The only time she saw her son in an Illinois uniform in person last year after watching all the other games on TV.

“We went out to eat that Sunday morning,” Hardee said. “We went to Bob Evans in Champaign. I just remember kissing her and telling her I love her. I watched them drive off.”

For the last time.

Before Hardee could see his mom again, she was already too sick.

Too close to death.

Waiting for her baby to come home.

The call

Hardee did come home to Cleveland.

Under circumstances no 19-year-old wants to.

Hardee — who lives with Illinois cornerback and childhood friend V’Angelo Bentley — was at the house of Illinois football players B.J. Bello, Devin Church and LaKeith Walls on the night of Tuesday, Dec. 10.

His cellphone rang.

His mom wasn’t feeling well and had just arrived at University Hospitals of Cleveland.

Hardee was concerned. But not fearing the worst.

“I instantly got sad,” he said, “but I thought everything was going to be OK because it wasn’t her first time in the hospital.”