quot;t.”

    t day Jamie couldnt get out of bed. Because soo o , he Bible in her room.

    Ses.

    Anot by and Jamie greeadily worse, her body weakening.

    Bedridden, s like a little girl again.

    quot;Jamie,quot; I pleaded, quot;w can I do for you?”

    Jamie, my s Jamie, ime noalked to  move at ths were rapid and weak.

    I sat beside tcime, to my , feeling the boniness of her fingers.

    Part of me ed to cry rig instead I laid urned to face the window.

    o someone like er lesson in  of t me to fall in love  sometion? t, t  to tions hey had been before.

    Outside, t of t  noe afternoon sunlig signs of nature coming back to life. trees outside ing for just t moment to uncoil and open to yet another summer season.

    On tstand by ion of items t Jamie o . tograpanding outside of sc day of kindergarten; tion of cards t c. Sigop of tack.

    ritten in crayon, it said simply:Please get better soon. I miss you.

    It mas Eve. timents, but  the child, Roger, had drawn. hed drawn a bird, soaring above a rainbow.

    C bear to look any furt tack back  to er glass. I reacicle and sa it  ter , I saure t aken of two of us.

    It seemed so long ago. I brougicle nearer to my face. As I stared, I remembered t o pass. I kne. Instead, I sa ime I sig aside the clipping.

    till lay open  to read some more. Eventually I came across anot it said:I am not commanding you, but I  to test ty of your love by comparing it to tness of othe