First, this story gave me chills and tears throughout. I could have highlighted so much more but wanted to leave that to other readers. Even though I knew what was coming. That's a testament to how well you wrote it and to that you imprinted your emotions into the words on the screen and I could feel them. Thank you for sharing this story with us.

Regarding these words I highlighted here, do you think the reason he was smiling and laughing is because the weight of his decision over which he had agonized was removed as he had made up his mind?

In another moment of synchronicity, March before last I heard a man interviewed on NPR (which I never listen to)(not because I have anything against it--just because I prefer music). The man, a philosopher and suicide survivor had written a book.

"Martin said something in the interview that I found very profound. When talking to someone who is having or may start having suicidal thoughts, he advises to tell them it’s ok. You can kill yourself if you want but you don’t have to do it today. Don’t tell someone it’s wrong or wrong to think about. Shame makes it more likely they won’t talk about it and more likely they will attempt suicide to stop feeling the shame of thinking about it." That's from my https://medium.com/channspirations/theres-no-shame-in-contemplating-suicide-2e0ef101a900 if you're interested in seeing more.

PS: I gave this one of the feature slots.