me.  “I get some weird reactions when I tell someone they have to identify the body of a loved one.  Laughter isn’t real high on the list.”

How to answer that?  “He’s no longer a loved one.”

“So what was so funny?”

“Not funny ha-ha.  Funny, …”  It was definitely time for me to shut up.

“I could use a joke.”

“Not this one.”  Shut up, Aly, a stern voice in my head ordered, but somehow that was funny, too.

“Sure, I could.  Go ahead.  Tell me.”  Kindness.  Concern.  He even smiled, which was an absolutely nasty trick on his part.  Close to unforgivable.

And my mouth opened up, and words came out.  After the lecture he’d...

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