His father leaving had thrust him onto a path no child should have to travel. But I decided to make it my mission, for the rest of our lives, that I would be his reprieve when he put too many expectations on himself. I would be his gravity, grounding him, and I would be his sun, chasing away the dark clouds that would inevitably come. I would be the girl who would cradle his heart until my very last breath—and even beyond.
