I had to read the first part twice to realize what it was I was reading, and when I did, it was an "Ohhhhhh..." moment--sweet and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Now I have chills and I'm tearing up. This is masterful storytelling--it's a rarity to read something, to get (no pun intended) a perfect snapshot in which you know everything and nothing all at the same time. It's almost painful to read it and realize where the story's going, but I know I don't want to miss a minute of it. Well done.