How Baby

Bit of a sad news week, this one; my friend Jamie, a great artist, wonderful person, and long time quiet supporter of How Baby, passed earlier this week after a long battle with cancer. And, completely unprompted, Momo picked that very morning to bring up some questions about death, so I got the double whammy of trying to explain this huge concept, while also fighting back tears on the walk to daycare.

Jamie was at Momo’s second birthday, shortly before he was diagnosed. She still wears the clothes he got her. He used to like every post on Facebook. The last time I saw him, in August, he said he was proud of me for how this comic has grown. And now he’s gone, and it’s all tangled up with these memories of Momo as well, and it just… sucks. Fuck cancer.

Oh, to be four again, though… the moment she finished being sad about the squished ladybug that wasn’t coming back to life, she was back to chattering about all the stuff in her pockets she’d been picking up. I have a feeling this is conversation we’ll have to have a few times before it sticks, but I’ll remember this one, at least.

Anyway, this one’s for Jamie. I’m sorry you had to go, buddy. Thank you for everything.