He Only Saw What She Allowed

She’d said, “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

I remembered it clearly, because it had been one of the last times she sounded like she meant it.

Now I wondered how quickly grief could be turned into a story.

Evan was watching my face.

“That really happened,” he said.

“Yes,” I answered. “But I didn’t die.”

“No,” he said. “You didn’t.”