The Jazz Festival came and went. Briefly, Hayden thought about the fact that MyKell was there with someone else, listening to Frankie Beverly singing about "Joy and Pain," and holding someone else in his arms as they swayed to the music. Then the moment ended, and she moved on. A few days later, Brian got up and stood by her desk. When she looked up at him he spoke.

"I am more than my past, my mistakes, my faults, my circumstances, my struggles, or my diseases. I am a ...