Brandon stumbled backward, his hip cracking against the altar rail.

“You — this isn’t — you died up there,” he stammered.

“You died on that cliff.

The rescue team said so.

They said there was no body — ”

“The rescue team didn’t find a body,” I said, taking a slow, deliberate step toward him, “because a private alpine crew pulled me off that ledge, alive, two hours after you turned your back and walked away.