What I wanted to preserve was the turbulent gasp in his voice which lingered with me for days afterwards and told me that, if I could have him like this in my dreams every night of my life, I’d stake my entire life on dreams and be done with the rest.
The look on his face became like the tiny snapshot of a beloved that soldiers take with them to the battlefield, not only to remember there are good things in life and that happiness awaits them, but to remind themselves that this face might never forgive them for coming back in a body bag.