my grandmother said of my grandfather: before him, i was not alive.
i couldn’t understand this. i felt alive in so many moments. there were kites and car rides and parties with cake. there were puddles and rainbows and presents and good books.
i thought: how could any human be akin to these feelings? i had loved many, had my heart broken plenty. they had all been their own fires - but in the end, what died between us didn’t burn out forests. it hurt, and i recovered, and people were beautiful, and still i did not believe any person could have that sort of sway over me.
and then i met him, and i was alive for the first time in my life.






