[ E R R O+ R 1 9 2 6 2 7 ; VIA PARADO+XA FUTURA DO+LO+RO+SA ] My child lo+o+ks at me, ganderbulbs wide and pleading. He is a small, to+ddling thing, running to+ hide in my skirt. In o+ur shared lo+o+k he beco+mes yo+ung again. I curl my lo+ve aro+und him, a chrysalis, and ho+pe it is transfo+rmative eno+ugh to+ make him feel safe. I am allo+wed to+ to+uch him o+ne last time, breaking fro+m the cro+wd to+ ho+ld him fo+r but a beat in my arms. We merge into+ o+ne being, Mo+ther-And-So+n, Lusus-And-Ward, a co+hesive unit. In this mo+ment we kno+w deeply and truly that we did no+t need to+ carry o+ur burdens alo+ne. I ho+pe he can fo+rgive me fo+r my selfishness. I canno+t take away his hurt, but I can refuse to+ lo+o+k away. O+ur last actio+n as a clade, here to+gether, is to+ gather. He watches us in o+ur shame as we appro+ach. Ho+w he do+es no+t lash o+ut in anger I do+ no+t understand. Did we no+t pro+mise we wo+uld never allo+w this to+ happen? Mo+ther, he says. Here is yo+ur family. He reaches his weak grabpo+ds up and wipes my weeping plateau. We flo+w into+ each o+ther, Savio+ur-And-Saved, the bo+undaries between who+ is who+ weak and blurred. To+ my clade he says, She has always been yo+ur mo+ther, to+o+. He lo+ves us greatly, 'til death. #viado+lo+ro+sa #easter2026