..yes, they all eventually leave. every single one of them, every single time. every person that ever succeeded in brihtening her day and cheering her heart disappeared as quickly as a cat in the night. as though happiness was only supposed to be some kind of weekend treat, like ice cream..
uncles and aunts that visited and helped moved or passed on. friendly school teachers could only care for a school year; school friends developed and tried to find themselves too. it was always the good people that left, the people that weren't afraid to smile or to love..