““I sure would have loved to live in Matty’s imagination where a guy like Magnus would want someone like me. “Why did he think that?” Magnus’s smile faded and his eyes met mine. “Because we’re both alone,” he murmured. The innocent logic was amusing, but there was no humor in Magnus’s gaze which led me to say, “That’s not the only reason, is it?” The silence between us lasted several long seconds before Magnus whispered, “And because he thinks I’m sad and that being married means I won’t be sad anymore.” I didn’t need to ask if the little boy was right. Magnus had hidden his grief well in the past six months, but I’d seen enough in just the last few days to know that he’d loved his daughter with everything he was. I was tempted to end the conversation with another crass joke, but my mind rebelled. I couldn’t make light of this man’s pain. I took a deep breath and forced myself to say the words I hadn’t even had the strength to admit to myself. “I lost someone too.””
![“I learned more in those six months [ in the White House] than in the prior six years. I don't think that anybody who has had the privilege to serve the country at that level should walk out and behave like a crybaby. And I plan to continue to serve the country in other capacities.” quote by Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3dc/van-jones-984_behave_i-learned-more-in-those-six-months-in-th_27061.jpg)
