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A call came through just then, pulling me out of my woolgathering moment and back into the very demanding and very urgent present situation of my job responsibilities. The day flew, and before I knew, it was time to get moving. I called Brynne as I was leaving the office to tell her I was on my way. I ex- pected to get a breathless rundown of everything that needed to be done before the thing tonight and our impending trip. I got voice mail instead. So I sent her a short text: On my way home. Need anything? And got no response.

I didn't like it and realized right then and there that I would always worry about her. The worry would never go away. I'd heard people say such things about their children. That they didn't know what real worry was until they had someone in their lives important enough to measure the true essence of what it meant to love another person. With that love came the burden of potential loss-a prospect too uncomfortable for me to think much about.

Remembering the env