it’s Saturday night. I have been asleep for hours. My husband Evan is hard at work, though. He is sorting 25 medications into a multi-tiered organizer. He handles each of the 270 pills, placing them gently in the correct box, all to keep the failing machine that is my body going. He makes food move through my body and protects me from spasms, pain, anxiety, and depression. In the doctor’s office, he answers questions about my medication and knows the brand and generic name of every single drug. I have no idea what he and Dr. Goslin are discussing. To many, this might not seem like an empowered position, but my point of view is that I have to suffer ALS, and Evan has taken this off my shoulders. From rubbing frankincense into my spasming muscles to learning how to use a feeding tube, he has been there for me every step of my final way. He even quit his job to take care of me 16 hours a day. He is my hero.

He was my hero long before ALS, though. He saved me when my rapist became my stalker. It was a waking nightmare made worse by the fact that no one believed me – no one except my new friend Evan. He made sure I never went anywhere alone and would not be intimidated, even when the man showed up in his classroom and made a scene. He stood by me, and we fell in love. Even though we were only 19 and 20, we knew after a week of dating that we wanted to get married. However, we decided to wait until we graduated college.

My husband is a better person than I am, but I don’t mind. He is my sun, and my heart blooms under his light. It’s been 13 years, and my stomach still flips when he enters the room. He makes me laugh even now, and the best part of my day is the time when we are alone together. I love him unconditionally. I smile so wide when I see he’s about to kiss me, he always ends up kissing my teeth, but he hasn’t complained yet. When he says he loves me, I repeat it back to myself. HE loves ME, and I search his face for sincerity. Every time, I find love light in his true blue eyes, and I think about what a miracle this is.

Evan gives me the strength to fight. I’ve always known I would die for him. Now I know I would live for him. He is my everything.