I mourn their absence and the time that was stolen from us, and I mourn the future they’ll never be a part of. My parents won’t be here to see me become the mayor or get married to the woman I love. They will never be able to attend Sunday lunches with the Muñoz and Lopez families, and they won’t have a chance to pass along their own recipes. I’ll never get to share the joys of fatherhood with my dad, and I’ll always wish my mom was around to teach me how to step up and be the partner Lily needs. But most of all, I cry for the boy who had to grow up way too fast and for the man who will always
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