This novel is dedicated to Peter Marsh.
If I could talk to you one more time, I’d tell you how smart, funny, and special you were.
If I could talk to you one more time, I’d tell you that I still remember your great smile.
If I could talk to you one more time, I’d tell you how much it meant to me when you’d leave the other boys playing outside so you could come in just to visit with your friend’s mom.
If I could talk to you one more time, I’d tell you how much you were loved.
If I could talk to you one more time, I’d wrap my arms around you and never let go.
If I could talk to you one more time, I’d tell you that one of the worst moments in my life was telling my son that you were gone. I’d tell you that we both cried. That we still cry.
If I could talk to you one more time, I’d tell you that God can turn any situation around. That life is never, ever hopeless. If only you’d talked to us one more time.
But now there’s an empty spot in the world where you should be. No one will ever fill it. No one else can. It will always belong to you.
We can’t talk to you one more time in this world, but we’re praying that someday we’ll get to talk to you one more time . . . forever.
We love you, Peter.