When tears stain your face, there’s only one thing that I know of that will make you feel better. I’ve always tried to be the person that you can rely on, to tell you that you’re great and that I’ll love you no matter what, but it doesn’t seem to do the trick. I’ve learned that the only thing that makes you feel better about yourself or whatever is going on in your life, is going to the Hampton hardware store and wandering around every aisle.
We all deal with things differently and I respect the way you deal with things. That’s why yesterday when your rabbit died, I didn’t hug you, I picked you up and drove you straight to the hardware store. When I dropped you off you looked broken. My heart wept for you and all I wanted to do was be there for you, but I knew that you needed to be alone. And so I left you. I left you to deal with your feelings on your own. I left you to admire the intricacies of the hardware store, from the drill on the furthest shelf to the bags of unmixed concrete at the entrance. I left you to bask in all of it.
When I picked you up, I knew that you were ready to talk. But as I expected, you didn’t want to talk about the death of your best friend, you wanted to talk about all the plumbing supplies near Cheltenham that you saw. You told me about every last pipe, excavator, and drain that you saw. You sounded as happy as you could have been under the circumstances, and I knew in that moment that you had done your job. I hope that your heart heals eventually, but until then I promise to drive you to the hardware store every day until things get a little easier.
I’m here for you always, baby.