Last week Milo took his last breath. He stayed alive as long as he could until I told him it was okay to go home and rest. He did it bravely. Braver than me. Braveness is a verb and if you do it well, you’ll own a piece of it forever. He had bones made of steel- they never bent. Always stood strong. It somehow protected me. He woke me up from nightmares with a calmness I couldn’t explain. Now I live in a silence that’s deafening. Sadness falls gently on heavens doorstep. It’s sealed in a love letter addressed to him. Light sheds onto me in the dark corners of my room and I feel a lump in my throat. I feel emptiness and gratitude and love and his safety. I feel his calmness, still. The gift of him was raw. It was the best lesson. It was everything. -AMT