Sunday afternoon, and Shaun is reading comic books in Buffalo and I am not in Buffalo and I am not reading comic books but I am listening to the Bangles and Avery likes the Bangles and is dancing and Aurora does not like the Bangles and is looking at me and Avery as if she doesn’t know us.

Shaun texts to let me know he is reading the second to last issue of Alpha Flight, which was advertised as an eight-issue limited series, upgraded to an ongoing series, and downgraded to an eight-issue limited series (Marvel-speak for cancelled).

Trying to curb my rage at its cancellation, he writes.

At least they got to tell the story they wanted to tell, I write, because Greg Pak, the writer of the eight-issue limited series, was quoted in an interview as being disappointed at not being able to tell more stories with the characters of Alpha Flight but also pleased that he would get to the tell the entire story that he wanted to tell.

You and your silver lining, Shaun responds.

I just try to be practical.

I love you, he writes. I smile, as I do each time he writes I love you and I read his I love you.

I want to write that love is the most impractical thing I do; instead, I write I love you, too.

Because I do and because something about his text message I love yous makes me smile.