This is probably my favorite photo of my mother. I can only guess what the backstory is. Her facial expression in the photo is very familiar to me.

From the rest of the photo, it’s apparent that the setting is a nightclub. The photo is from the 1960s. It precedes my parents’ marriage and my eventual surprise arrival. I typed out my guess at the backstory of this photo and deleted it.

Someone in my extended family reached out and told me that when she thinks of Dolores, it only “brings her joy and happy memories of a vibrant woman with a cheeky humor.” A friend texts me that she’ll always remember my mother’s laugh.

Tonight it’ll be one week since my mother passed away. I’ve had so many conversations with her since then.

I hope to return to a regular pattern here again as of April 26. Thank you for reading, for being the receiver and reader of my missives of grief, curiosity, random thoughts, and book talk.

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