RIP Miss Danielle Keller

It hasn't even been 24 hours and I miss you so much. I knew you such a short time, but you revived my trust in people and showed me that even when everything is falling down around you, there are still things in life meant to be savored. Dani, the first time I met you I wanted to protect you. You were by no means naive, and yet you wanted to believe that people were fundamentally good, and you made me believe for a while too. At that Rummage Sale you opened your heart to my kids, and you became Taryn's favorite person in an instant. She would ask every day when we were going to see you guys again, when she could give Miss Dani and hug, and when Sam could come play with her.

Now you are gone and there is this hugs gaping hole in my life. Who am I going to text funny stories about the girls late into the night to? Who is going to sit with me at Miwork Park while we get eaten alive by mosquitoes and plot your reemergence on the dating scene? Who else orders an Arnold Palmer at Peet's and always remembers to bring a snack for Taryn? And now who am I going to sit at Finnegan's with to have a drink after a rough day? You used to fill my afternoons at work when I had nothing to do and we'd message each other every random, crazy, funny, and oftentimes serious thing that had happened in the few hours since we last talked. You have been a part of my life almost every day since we met 6 months ago, and I will never forget you.

I am absolutely devastated that your beautiful life was cut short by a maniac. I have not stopped thanking God for protecting Sam, but I wish you didn't have to lose your life trying to protect her as well. I am trying to channel you, trying to take the high road and hope that he gets the help he needs, and that the justice system will prevail, but I want revenge. You told me he was going to do this one day, and I shrugged it off as Crazy Dani being melodramatic again. I would give so much to have been able to do something to alter the last 24 hours, but deep down I know I wouldn't have been able to save you and despite what you wanted to believe, there is something fundamentally wrong with that man.

Sweets, I am always going to remember your big, sunny smile, and those perfect teeth that you filed down by yourself. Siting in the jump house after Taryn's birthday and bouncing all the kids around after her party. The many days spent at different parks in Novato, the hours of conversations we had, the thousands of texts and IMs sent. You were one of the few people who 'got' me, who understood my humor, and appreciated that my kids mean the world to me. We were supposed to be NMC board members together, and now I have to serve alone.

Dani, you were destined to do great things. Even if the only job you ever had again was working outside on a hot afternoon trying to put gloopy makeup on fair goers, you would have always done it with a smile and a dash of snark. I promise to do what I can to help your family through this, to make sure Sam ends up in a good place, and to spend time with her. She is blessed to have such a loving, devoted, responsible mother for the short time that she did. Thanks for the good times, Whole Foods, I'm going to miss you.