We put one candle in a pancake and lit it.

Then we blew it out together.

After breakfast, we went to the small reading corner we’d painted the ridiculous shade of purple.

Friends had begun leaving books there with handwritten messages inside.

A few neighbors came over in the afternoon with lemonade and homemade cookies.

Nobody gave a speech.

Maya made everyone play Hannah’s favorite board game, which she was suspiciously good at winning.

At sunset, I took out the letter and read the paragraph about Chloe to the small group, asking first whether Kenneth felt comfortable with that part being shared.