I promised John I’d be sober until the next time I see him, which should be in the last week of August, if everything goes as planned.

I had difficulty making the promise for myself. I’ve easily gone cold turkey before, by my own free will, but that was because I was in a relationship. John’s the last person in the world I want to let down. He’s lost enough already, including his mother and his sense of smell.

Sometimes one needs a reason. Sometimes one needs someone for whom to stop.