well, for her, she lived because of him —
but for me.
Because he couldn’t stand to leave his mother with no one,
so he left me a daughter with his heartbeat,
and a friend who understood,
and a whole family to fill the space where he’d been.
He was right. I’ve never been alone a day since.
I lost my son at nineteen.
And every single day, I get to put my hand on my daughter’s chest
and feel that he’s still here—
still beating,
still with me,
still, five years later, keeping the promise he made
in a letter I read the day I buried him:
“I’m not leaving you alone, Mom. I found a way to stay.”
He did.
He’s in the next room right now.
I can hear him.
