I used to imagine terrain, harsh and rocky, that you would climb over, oceans and mountains that spanned the miles between us. I used to wish you’d come barreling in the front door, panting and exhausted, fighting to be here. I remember closing my eyes, trying to remember a man that was strong, stable, dedicated.
Now, I wonder if you ever think of the birthdays you’ve missed or the Fathers’ Days that have passed. I wonder if you know that I’m graduting this year, that I’ll be Valedictorian, or even that I’m turning 18. And I’m curious, more than anything, to know who I’d be if you were a different person, the hero I used to pretend you were, the soldier lost on the battlefield.
