

Letters to Gabriel (eight)
I want to remember this stage, this week, this day. Because I know it won't last. Soon, you’ll learn to pronounce “please” and I don’t want to forget how it was. … You say “peez” but only when a snack is promised in exchange. You say “tank to” when you're handed something amazing, like a banana. You’re never just happy, you’re ecstatic. Your arms jut out straight and your chin pulls in beneath a toothy grin. You treat your hair like a napkin, only to be touched when your hand