I brought no flowers.
At Lily’s marker, I told her about the scholarship recipients.
At Noah’s, I described the dinosaur exhibit Melissa and I had visited.
At Ethan’s, I told him about the audit.
“You would have loved the spreadsheets,” I said.
Wind moved through the trees.
For years, I had waited for grief to answer me.
It never did.
So I stopped asking it to.
I stood.
Brushed grass from my coat.
And before leaving, I looked back at the three names.
“I love you,” I said.
That was not closure.
It was not moving on.
It was simply true.
Then I walked toward my car.
My phone remained silent in my pocket.
Nobody needed anything from me.
Nobody was demanding forgiveness.
Nobody was asking for money.
