Epilogue
I haven't slept with Richard since. Here in Columbia, I miss him. We've stayed close, and over the years I've supported his initiatives to pass new forestry legislation and protect public spaces for the community. And every now and then, at a fundraiser or in city hall, our eyes meet across the room and we share a knowing smile that sets my stomach on fire.
"We’ll always have Yosemite," Richard told me once, in his best (and terrible) Bogart voice.
I love him, and in a way that is reserved for him alone. In a perfect world, I'd even say I want his children, I want his home to be mine. But I'm best friends with his children, his home was next to mine, and this longing ache will not be fulfilled.
"It never rains in California, but girl, don’t they warn you, it pours. Man, it pou
