the waves come and go, but the sadness remains. this is a wave. this.... is me doing what i do best. i look into her eyes, and immediately, the pen in my mind is trembling, but running. yet i can't crack my mouth to mumble a word. her eyes are like spades, a tear afraid to detach itself. she didn't know what to do except draw me in, my arms reaching up behind her head, escaping my eyes. the spades disappear and reappear as spheres absorbing into my cotton. a freedomless sadness and a faith that can go one of two ways. so we wait, and we wipe away tears with fingers that once consoled her. we wait for her to come home to another family that only wishes it was able to do more.....

we love you, gretchen.