My husband became an organ donor as his final wish — after he d*ed, his doctor stopped me and said, “There’s something he made me promise to give you only after he was gone.”

And my friend Karen.

We’re managing.”

“Okay.” I exhaled slowly.

“I’m glad.”

“Can I ask you something?” Diane said.

“Yes.”

“Did you know?

Before the letter?”

“No.”

“I’m sorry.” And she sounded it — genuinely, without qualification.

“I thought about reaching out to him when I found out he was sick.

I didn’t know if it would make things worse.”

“It might have,” I said honestly.

“I don’t know.”

“He never met Daniel,” she said.

“I want you to know that.

I’m not — I wasn’t trying to hide Daniel from him exactly, but after a while it felt like the window had closed.

And then I heard he had gotten married, and I thought —” She stopped.

“I don’t know what I thought.”

“Can I ask what Daniel knows?”

“He knows his father was sick and that he passed away.