The Hello of hellos
Of all the hundreds upon hundreds of hellos I’ve encountered, yours was the only one that truly made me feel as though I belonged. When your door opened, you accepted me, stepped aside, and with a mere gesture of your hand, swept the air away, creating space for me in your world. I resided there—heart and soul, body and spirit—hoping, praying I would never be asked to leave. Yet life always forced me out: to drive to work, to pick up groceries, to take the kids to school, or to bring you your favorite coffee. Each step away was a quiet agony, but I bore the pain with the assurance that your world would still welcome me back. I clung to the promise that your lips would eventually form another hello—one that would draw me home. Every time I left, I waited anxiously, rushing to complete my errands, my heart racing with the anticipation of returning to the only place I ever wanted to be: by your side. And now, am I to be the smoke and the fire? The world’s biggest liar? I write these words