Sara Mae tells me I help them be goofy.

Josie tells me I don’t need to worry, I got this.

Talya tells me she feels sad, sad today,

that she can’t seem to keep going.

Aviva texts, their brother died.

Lou calls me, they are driving to Missouri

to be with Veev. Do they need anything?

They don’t know yet.

Gervais tells me he’s brimming

with anxiety, says he had plane issues

he left at 5PM and got in at 4AM

and he’s still so tired but

he can do it. He can work

on the sample if I email it to him.

Mariah posts a picture of three smiles

without her and a sadness face.

Who are these people? I type out.

My family, she responds,

I haven’t been able to go home

in years and they’re all together, without me.

Kate says I popped up

on her “memories” in her photos app

from 2018, said I was eating a churro.

SB says if you need me to beat

up that boy that didn’t listen

when you asked him to go

slow, I’ll fucking do it. I’ll pull up

to his house and everything.

Chen says he’s tired.

My mom says she can’t sleep.

V says they feel like he’s

drowning, all the time.

Izah left work today because they were

having a panic attack. Rose organized

to start a union at her job but says

she maybe just wants them to fire her.

Ruslan says that, through my love

and friendship, he was able to come

out to his homophobic family

and friends back in Kyrgyzstan.

That he’s so grateful for me,

he could cry. He cries, for a minute.

Shirin says she finished Succession.

Catherine says she won an award.

My dad calls, says, you need to get

your oil changed. I know you

have a lot on your plate.

But please, try to find

a moment. Make sure you take

your breath. Go and get

the oil change, tomorrow.

They open at 8.