I don’t know if anyone else thinks about what life would be like without their partner. It’s like the worst thing. Which is probably why it’s a thought experiment that’s private, saved for dark corners and late nights, never to be acknowledged.

At the same time, perhaps it’s a pain that, when confronted, helps us to truly live. I don’t know. It’s a complicated feeling and idea. I don’t know for sure, but it’s something I think my father understood.