It's the heart; the best part. I saved it for you.

I protected it, made sure it stayed whole and as innocent and full of light as possible. I used it only to build you up, to raise you from the darkness. I used it to praise you and to welcome you with op…

I take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and turn around. I am completely unprepared.

She stands there, wrapped in a bath towel that, with her 5'-nothing frame, covers her armpits to knees. Her hair is wrapped in another towel. She smiles, and I quickly …

I wake up to my phone ringing. My first thought: Oh, hell! Am I late for work? Again?

The next sound I notice is the shower running. Good. If my wife, Mari, is in the shower, I'm in good shape. That bit of stress off my mind, I reach out from under the…