Impossible, the words you want
to hear. That we can read each other’s
minds  – despite my disbelief.  You want
me to say that our hearts hurt when
we are apart, that my daughter
is your daughter, and yours mine.

You still are dumbfounded that I ran off
to college, left you in our two-of-everything
bedroom with only a made bed and silence
on my side.  Freshman year, new friends
baked me a birthday cake, my first without
an ampersand, without your name next to mine.