With a painful twist in my chest, I had to stop him. I knelt down to his level.

“Remember what the doctor said about hugs?”

“No hugs,” he said, disappointed.

“Aunt Simone and Uncle Aster will sit really close on the other bench, okay?”

“Okay.”

I took his little hand and led him back to the bench. He sat down, and Aster and Simone settled across from him. I stepped back far enough to give them privacy, but close enough to keep Jimi in sight.

“When we see each other again, ...