Recent writing

Leaving the scene of sacrifice, I could feel my chest loosen. At least Max wasn’t like that. He’d never thrown himself at someone’s feet, never sobbed until his chest heaved with effort. I sometimes wondered if all the saved-up emotion was going to come back to bite me in the ass. Maybe he’d be 14 and a total drama queen. Well, I had 10 years to worry about that one.

Hey said a voice behind me. It sounded raspy, as if its owner had done his share of screaming or crying or both in recent minutes. I could testify that that wasn’t the case. He’d barely said a word while Eve was having her conniption. He’d stood there and borne witness, and I couldn’t figure out whether I considered that the best or most frustrating tactic.

I turned and faced him. In the coming months we would realize just how precious this type of connection is, just how tenuous and worthy of appreciation not merely in the moment, but for the future. The placement of a few breaths away from another, the privilege of regarding each other without the blockages of masks, our need for personal protective equipment writ large.