My baby boy,

I miss you. We are about seven and a half agonizing months into this new reality. I wish I could talk to you and get a response. I talk to you daily, but am met with silence.

After I walked Ellie to school this morning, I was walking home and saw a little girl over by the cafeteria. She was visibly upset and scared. I stopped to see if I could help her and from what I gathered, it was her first day at Daniel K and she didn’t know where to go for kindergarten. I took her hand, we walked to the office and talked, and I found one of your teachers from last year to get her to her classroom.

I thought of you while I did it, I know you would have done the same thing. I’m not sure what her name was because I couldn’t quite understand her and didn’t want to keep asking while she was upset, but I really hope she had a great day.

Elijah is sleeping with your Minecraft comforter tonight. His needed cleaned and he got really excited when he saw what he was going to use. I asked him if he wanted the “good guy” side or the “bad guy” side and he chose the good guys. I remember when you first got that blanket. It would be such a life decision each night to decide which side of the comforter to sleep with.

Miss Brenda gave me homework tonight and I’ve got to make a list of places I want to go to before we leave. Elijah keeps talking about the creek hike, do you know what he’s talking about? I thought maybe it was Likelike because there’s a little stream off the waterfall, but he said that wasn’t it. Honestly, as I was writing this to you I think I know exactly which hike he’s talking about. I’m pretty sure it’s the tunnel hike. The tunnels were on the top part and the bottom part had the stream. I think that’s it! He said we went there with Gma and Pap and that was the hike we did with them where you found that mandarin orange tree! Look at you, baby, helping me figure it out. He’s asked a few times today and I couldn’t for the life of me remember the one he was talking about. I will make sure to tell him tomorrow morning that you helped me remember where it was and we will most definitely check and see if there are any other mandarin oranges.

It’s getting late, sweetie. I’m going to get to bed. I love you so much, my baby. Goodnight and sweet dreams.