Florida State Prison, September 2010
Dear Ava,
The first thing that I noticed as I held your letter in my hands was the smell of your perfume as it rose from the page and caressed me, as if you had just walked through the door and shouted “Hi honey, I’m home.” Ava, you cannot begin to imagine how that made me feel. Even after all this time here I still can’t get used to the horrific smell that is constantly battering my nostrils. The smell of stale sweat and fear taints every breath I take; I didn’t want that to be the last smell that I remembered.
As I opened your letter your wonderful perfume filled the space around me and I stood for what seemed like hours dragging the smell of woodland flowers deep into my lungs, trying to wash the tarnished walls of my body and soul with this new,
