Ten.One Thousand, Four Hundred & Eighty-Four

1. So quiet.

2. The rumble of the neighbor’s truck pulling away.

3. Little strip of pale light above the trees. The cawing of the crows.

4. Always so much paperwork. Find the documents, print everything, paper clip it together. Decide to leave the emergency contact blank.

5. I don’t think it’s my imagination that he looks older today.

6. Rib dinner plate with beans and coleslaw. The kids eat ice cream, the grown-ups drink water and talk.

7. They play on the playground for a bit before the Wiffle ball comes out. Boys versus girls. Softballers versus Baseballers. People sit on the benches and watch us play.

8. He asked for chicken parm for dinner and an ice cream cake. I move slowly. I’ve been non-stop since 6 am, I say. Let out a sigh. Bits of mozzarella cheese are stuck to the bottom of my feet.

9. “It was one of, if not the best, birthdays I’ve ever had.”

10. One day we will not have to talk about this anymore.