The One Where We See Beau’s Spine

Date: 5/15/2024

My dad, Renee, and I are hosting some sort of kiddie Olympics for her students in what’s supposed to be my backyard, which is bigger with a higher fence and a swing set. I hang from one of the swings on my stomach as I list off things we’ll need to get from the store — chocolate medals, ice, mini water bottles, and Gatorade. At some point, I see Beau near the back fence and notice that he seems to be bleeding between his back and his left rear leg. As we all get closer to him I see that his spine is clearly visible. I feel myself getting dizzy as my dad and Renee also notice this and start to panic. I look around and spot a bloody mark on another panel of the fence and realize he must’ve somehow scraped himself too hard. I try to stay calm as I think about what needs to be done to fix him … I’m at what looks like a neighborhood clubhouse somewhere when I see Kaitlyn Ayala. I remember that her friends Nashali and Marissa recently died (not in real life) and go to hug her. She holds on to me for a long time.