The Words You Can't Say

Last night I said goodbye to my brother, who's moving to England, at least for the time being. If he likes it and finds a job he enjoys, he might be there for years. As we hugged goodbye, we both wanted to say, "I love you." But you can't say that to someone who's going on a long trip, because in that context it doesn't just mean "I love you", it conveys all your fear that there will be a tragedy and the person will never come home and you want them to know, in case it's the last time you see them, that you love them. Those things are too scary to think about. You have to just say it with your eyes, and know that they know.