Signs: There were several signs that Laine was going to leave us and one sign that she left us. First, there was the cancellation of the flight I had intended on taking to Washington DC the Sunday night before she died. It was an unusual cancellation in that there was no weather in either San Francisco or DC, but rather that the crew timed out. Normally the airline is aware of such a situation coming, and can get a replacement crew with an hour or two delay. But not this time. If I had not been there on Monday, there would have been two consequences. At the time Laine died, 5PM, Anna would have had Laine in the back seat of the Prius with Mathew and Ryan Brown, travelling on the 280 Highway at high speed. Additionally, if anything had happened to Laine while I was away, I would have not been able to forgive myself and would have had to live with the guilt of trading what will be seen in retrospect as something trivial for such horror. Second, Laine wanted me to read to her during the five days that she had abdominal pain. One book I read to her was her Children’s bible. It took me all five days to finish it, and I did that on Sunday evening before I left for the airport. She asked me many questions about it, which I answered. Third, my father has been writing a family history for the last several years. Incredibly, he finished this family history on Monday afternoon at 4PM PST, immediately before I called him to say that I was taking Laine to the ER. Fourth, Laine loved rainbows. We typically have about a rainbow every year in the Bay Area. Starting on Tuesday, the day after Laine died, there were more than a dozen rainbows that week, including many visible and apparently touching her school, Phillips Brooks in Menlo Park. Additionally, immediately following the memorial Service for Laine on March 1st, there was a full double rainbow right over St Bede’s church, where the memorial was held. Laine was painting the sky with rainbows, as she had painted daily on paper for the last couple years. These four signs have great meaning to us. Laine was here for a purpose, the timing of her departure was set, and she left us better people than we were when she arrived. She was a saint, an angel perhaps. In addition to these four signs, there were other medical signs that Laine’s time with us was ending. The official cause of her death was retrocecal appendicitis that sent septic emboli into the pelvic veins and caused Laine to go into septic shock. A retrocecal appendix is rare. Additionally, her greater omentum was a little long, so even after her appendix had turned gangrenous, there were no peritoneal signs at all as this tissue covered the spot where fluid would have come forward even with an appendix is positioned retroperitoneally. Having a long omentum in combination with a retrocecal appendicitis made the diagnosis very challenging. These medical signs are in some way parallel to the other signs outside of Laine, and again points to greater meaning to us.  As Mathew stated, God could not have pulled Laine back to Heaven with an ordinary illness.  It had to be challenging.  Laine was here for a short time, a time in which she healed our family and gave comfort and happiness to many in our family, in our town, in our church and in Laine’s school and in Mathew’s school and among our many friends. Laine needed to be with her sister. She arrived three years after Mia arrived, and left three years after Mia left. She spoke of Mia constantly (“let’s go pick up Mia! Right NOW!!” after Mia died. “I have a sister Mia. She died, and she is in heaven”, “I miss Mia”.). Laine slept with Mia for the first three years of life, until Mia died. The spot where Mia slept was sacred. Laine never slept there, but kept two large pillow piled on top of each other, and would protect their position. If a pillow fell, she would go get it in the middle of the night. The girls were connected. Laine and Mia were entangled spirits. She could not be separated. Laine had a healthy body, and Mia did not, but they were similar in spirit we believe. Laine lived in the light. She ran and laughed in the light. Those that sometimes were in the dark, when she would meet them, were literally dragged into the light. She glowed, and from her warmth flowed. She relieved everyone’s load; that was her mode. As she used to say, “welcome to my abode”.