By the time I thought about the yellow paper again, I had begun to see how much meaning I had placed on it. For my Winnie. The words were still …

PART 19 – The Three Words on the Yellow Paper Had Made Me Hope for a Future, but I Needed to Know Whether Wendell Was Ready to Share It With Me Read More

As I thought about seeing Wendell, I reminded myself that I didn't need to begin the conversation with every question at once. I could start with the thing that had …

PART 18 – I Had Waited for Wendell to Explain the Photographs and the Yellow Paper, but I Finally Understood That Listening Would Matter More Than Guessing Read More

December 24 arrived quietly. There was no special announcement to tell me that the day I had been thinking about for weeks had finally come. The calendar had said it …

PART 17 – When Christmas Eve Finally Came, I Wanted to Believe the Yellow Paper Was an Invitation Instead of Another Question I Had to Carry Read More

The closer Christmas Eve came, the harder it became to think of the date as ordinary. I knew the day would arrive whether I understood Wendell's plans or not. The …

PART 16 – As December Twenty-Four Drew Near, I Tried to Leave Room for a Good Surprise Without Letting Hope Do All the Talking Read More

There was a time when I thought patience meant keeping my concerns to myself. I thought it meant understanding another person so completely that I never asked them to explain …

PART 15 – I Was Finally Learning That Giving Someone Time Did Not Mean I Had to Leave My Own Feelings Waiting Outside the Door Read More

As Christmas drew closer, I found myself thinking about the date written beneath the yellow paper. December 24. It was an ordinary date to anyone who didn't know the reason …

PART 14 – The More I Thought About Christmas Eve, the More I Realized That What I Wanted Was Not a Surprise but a Place Beside Him Read More

I kept thinking about the yellow paper. Not every minute of every day, but often enough that I could no longer pretend it was just a piece of paper in …

PART 13 – I Had Spent So Much Time Wondering What Wendell Was Hiding That I Almost Forgot to Notice What He Was Trying to Tell Me Read More

As Christmas drew closer, I found myself paying more attention to the way Wendell spoke about the future. He didn't make grand promises. He didn't tell me that everything would …

PART 12 – The More I Thought About Wendell’s Careful Preparations, the More I Realized That Love Could Be Sincere and Still Need to Learn How to Tell the Truth Read More

I used to think that being careful meant keeping my expectations low. If I expected little, I told myself, then I couldn't be disappointed. It seemed sensible. It also made …

PART 11 – I Had Spent So Long Protecting Myself From Another Loss That I Almost Failed to Notice When Someone Was Trying to Make Room for Me Read More

The closer Christmas came, the more I noticed the date in my mind. December 24. I had not marked it on my calendar. I didn't need to. It was already …

PART 10 – Christmas Eve Was Getting Closer, and I Had to Decide Whether I Could Accept a Promise Without Knowing Exactly What It Meant Read More