From Carpinteria, California, we left. In Arizona, we barely spoke. In New Mexico, I gave him a promise that I knew I couldn’t keep. In Texas, we slept under the stars. In Oklahoma, he told me a story I wouldn’t soon forget. In Louisiana, he gave my soul a voice. Between Arkansas and Mississippi, we took full advantage of an opportunity. In Tennessee, I studied his face. In Kentucky, he introduced me to his parents. In Ohio, he found my heart. In West Virginia, we drank whiskey and told ourselves that truths are better left untold. In Maryland, we felt the weight of the night. In Pennsylvania, his wife called. And in New York, I asked myself one question: Would he be able to let me go when it was time?