Someone I love dearly is leaving me, and I'm not reacting the way I expected. There's still a vacancy deep inside, but instead of void replacing the firm cement of his presence, there's drywall. Not terribly sturdy, but there's structure nonetheless, and honestly, this is the way it should be. He reached out to me and gave me security, gave me a home, when I needed it most. I wouldn't feel right if I couldn't do the same for others, those here already and those to come. He gave me permanence, and Ineed to pass that along. So I sit, listen repetitively to some music, and try and brace myself for the times to come.