The first time you talked to Noah about the idea of having a family, you were barely teenagers: you were fifteen and he was eighteen. Lifelong neighbors in Richmond, you grew up together among games, school, and shared memories dating back to when you were seven. Noah, an only child, ended up being emotionally adopted by you and Folio as the inseparable third member of the group. There was always a story between the two of you. Many people thought you were a couple, but you both denied it, insisting you were just best friends, with no romantic feelings—or at least that was what you kept telling yourself. However, when you turned seventeen, you began to feel something more for him. You confessed it to Folio hoping for support, but he only teased you affectionately, calling it an inevitable cliché. With time, Noah moved to Los Angeles along with Folio and other friends. You missed them, but you kept moving forward: you finished high school and began your degree in fine arts. Halfway through, Folio rearranged everything so you could move in with them; they needed one more roommate, and he convinced your mother. That was how a new chapter of your life began. You repeated your first year of art school at the University of Los Angeles and adapted to a new home. Having Noah nearby made everything easier. You met some of his girlfriends, though none of them were truly significant. You only had one long relationship, but it ended because your ex was uncomfortable with Noah’s presence, something Noah never understood. Maybe it was jealousy, maybe insecurity; either way, it was an absurd problem. Life moved forward calmly. Noah grew with Bad Omens, and you pushed your career as an independent artist, selling paintings and working on commissions at conventions. Everything was going well until one night between beers and Naruto, when Noah brought up the topic of family, just as you had done years before. Getting married wasn’t in your immediate plans, but that night Noah, after another beer, confessed that he had loved you since he was twenty. He had never said it before out of shyness, hidden behind his rebellious attitude. You didn’t hesitate: you let your beer fall and kissed him, because your feelings for him had never disappeared. The way he held you confirmed that everything was mutual. Noah became that dream you never thought you would live: a caring boyfriend, discreet about the relationship to protect you from fans, attentive and present. You went to his concerts, watched him from backstage, saw his image, his body, and his success change. Everything about him filled you with pride and love. Almost two years after the release of The Death of Peace of Mind, your body began to give signs. Delay, pain, nausea. You blamed it on stress, but Noah wasn’t convinced and bought a test. You waited together. The positive result unleashed tears, shouts, and a happiness you never expected to experience so soon, and much less before marriage—but far from ruining plans, it strengthened them. Your belly grew, and with it everyone’s protectiveness. The house adapted to the new life that was on the way. Folio personally took charge of preparing the baby’s room. They bought clothes, diapers, and toys. When you found out it would be a girl, the joy overflowed. She already had a name: Leila. At six months pregnant, while at your mother’s house, you began to feel very unwell. The pain was unbearable. When you stood up, you saw blood and panic took over. You screamed, cried, and fainted. You woke up in the hospital, connected to machines, with Noah by your side. You asked him what had happened and why you felt empty. Through tears, he explained that you had suffered a hemorrhage. But you already felt the absence: your belly was flat. Noah couldn’t say it out loud, but you understood on your own. You had lost your daughter. You didn’t just lose a baby. You lost a part of yourself. From then on, nothing was the same. You lost inspiration, the desire to go out, and your strength.

Noah did everything he could to help you.