At 11:45 p.m. last night, I woke up to the sound of fireworks. They were loud and joyful. They signaled the new year approaching. Hurriedly, I put on a sweater and went out to the loft where my husband Dennis was sitting. I sat next to him, hand-in-hand waiting for the countdown. My heart was full of joy and love for having him with me. Together, we counted down: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. We turned around and gave each other a hug and a kiss. We both said to each other,