by Lori Ann Gonzales I can’t stop thinking about them. Everywhere I turn, I see their name. I look to the left, and it’s shining on a streetlamp like a holiday decoration. I look to the right, and across the road, plastered on a tall building, is the state name where they live. I had to do a double-take to comprehend that one and a few others throughout our time apart. It can be day or night, raining or shining; they are always lurking in the back of my mind. Sometimes I think I hear them – speaking to me. In my head! Like they shrunk into this little, tiny person and start a conversation asking me questions in the present day. It’s never questions or discussions that include the past. Instead, it’s focused on the now and the future. Don’t get me wrong, there were times I heard a faint apology, even crying at one point. A few times, I doubled over in pain, and it was their face I was seeing in front of me. Meeting my deeply intertwined soul con...