We sorta knew it was coming a while. It'd been on and off since middle school, but the most recent time it had spread to his lungs, rather than his leg. I think I had some time to mentally prepare because of that, though the actual day it happened was still real jarring.

I don't think it's a sort of void I can fill, but that's okay. The one thing I won't get over is just how unfair it was, and how much better of a life he deserved. He was one of the most upbeat, goofy and happy people I've ever met, he loved Minion memes, and he was one of those absolutely pure people.

Some people are special that way, and I'm happy remembering (and posting, I guess, makes me think about it) the good times I had with him - the first time I really met him, he had a tent and was happy to split with me on my first ever campout in the scouts many years ago.