I walk
I stand
I miss you
Do you miss me?
Do you still smile?
Can you see me?
Do you care?
There is no bandage for this
No medicine to make it okay
This is a wound that won’t ever heal
A world forever changed
I miss you
And I smile
For real
With joy
Because loving you
And being loved by you…
Was the greatest gift of all
So I miss you
But I know
One day, in heaven,
We’ll never let go.
By the time the last chord fades, the room feels different.
Quiet, but not empty.
Full.
Something moves through me before I can stop it, sharp and immediate, goosebumps rising along my arms, my chest tightening in a way I don’t have a name for.
I don’t clap.
I don’t speak right away.
I just stand there, looking at her like I’m seeing her for the first time.
“He’d be proud,” I manage finally, my voice lower than I expect.
