OHHH! Thank you!
And the end made me teary. Thankfully I didn't fully cry because then I'd feel like a dweeb. But I was misty-eyed for a minute.
That song is one of my favorites, has been since childhood.
You do such a wonderful job of describing grief. I wish I had half the talent you do.
And I'm going to go read the sequel now. Because I can't function without this.