Without you and Josh here it's hard to find anything to be thankful for. I mean, yes, I'm thankful they caught Damian Wright—but why couldn't it have been here, before he got to you and Josh? Yes, I'm thankful for the Colonel and Hal and Alan—even the Colonel's wife—everyone who's helped out these past few months while I've been a wreck. But I'd trade all of their good intentions and casseroles and Hallmark sympathies for one more minute with the two of you. Lately I've been haunted by that day. I almost came home early, you know. Would have if you hadn't talked me out of storming out of that nonsensical conference, hadn't convinced me that my job was worth wasting a few more hours of my time. You and Josh were worth everything I had, everything I have. If I had come home, maybe this never would have happened. You've heard all the cliches: sudden violence, senseless violence, random violence. People think the key word is violence. It's not. What changes your life forever are the other three words, words you can never understand until you experience that shock, that slap in the face, belly-flopping, heart stabbing, impact that blindsides you until you can't hear or see or feel anything.
