Learn to drive.
Visit the ocean again.
Get better at basketball.
Beat Emma in a race.
Convince Mom to let us have a dog.
The final item had been crossed out and rewritten several times.
Graduate with Emma.
Below it, in smaller handwriting, he had added:
If I can’t, make sure she goes anyway.
I stared at the words.
Emma sat beside me.
“I think he wrote it after one of his hospital appointments.”
She traced the last sentence with her finger.
“I wish I’d found it earlier.”
I took her hand.
“Maybe you weren’t ready to read it earlier.”
She thought about that.
Then she folded the page carefully and placed it back in the folder.
“I’m going to keep it with my college things.”
“That sounds right.”
She stood and carried the folder toward the stairs.
Halfway up, she turned around.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“I think I’m going to take the cardboard cutout to college with me.”
