After spending a decade away, in 2023 I came home - to Petersburg, Alaska. Still carrying the weight of grief from the recent passing of my momma, I returned to her old stomping ground, the Petersburg Pilot. The Pilot is our local newspaper, filled with old friends who loved my mom as much as I do. It felt familiar and comforting, like being wrapped in something known.

I knew and loved everyone who worked there, well, almost everyone.

As I walked into the Pilot to start my new job, I noticed someone sitting at the desk, silent tears streaming down his face. This is how I met Ray. Ray told me that his mom was dying. I knew that feeling of grief well, I had been drowning in it for months by then. I piped up with maybe too much enthusiasm "hey, me too!". We shared long conversations, laughter, and a quiet understanding that we both had tragedy in our lives. Almost immediately, I felt certain that Ray was meant to be in my life.

What started as friendship, slowly became something deeper. In that shared space of grief and grace, love found us.