A Year I Never Expected
That year unfolded slowly and strangely, full of tenderness I hadn’t prepared for. Walter adjusted his routines around me, leaving snacks prepared when he fell asleep early, rubbing my tired feet in the evenings, speaking softly to my growing belly as if introducing himself.
“I’m older,” he would say gently, “but I’ll love you fiercely.”
When our son, Elliot, arrived, Walter held him with shaking hands, tears slipping down his cheeks.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “For this joy.”
Not long after Elliot turned one, Walter’s body grew tired in a way that felt peaceful rather than frightening. He rested often, smiled easily, and one quiet night, he slipped away gently, leaving behind a calm that filled the house like a held breath finally released.
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