Before you left, you had a trial run. You came back to let us know where you were going, that it was with us. All three of us out at the lake. Just fishing. Not a care in the world. No scrambling for meds to patch together what COVID tore apart. And without that, I would forever ask myself why I didn’t do more.

But now, you’re waiting. Whole and perfect, kind and empathetic. And we will fight even harder so your story isn’t repeated.

I’ll cry every day though …