“I will.”

We did not hug.

We stood together a moment, and it was enough.

Silas joined me beneath a maple tree as the afternoon light turned gold.

He said the first time we met, he had admired the way I demanded the right to choose.

He had mistaken his silence about his own identity for harmless privacy and learned that genuine partnership required more courage than secrecy.

I told him I loved his generosity, but even more I loved the ordinary man who patched bridges, respected my work, and asked before entering a room that belonged to me.