Rider Strong

And drugs.

Pot, mushrooms, mescaline.

Willow's mom was a founding member of Tender Hearts, so she lived there with Willow and her sister Anna.

When we were young, Willow and I were close.

Really close.

We used to meet in the woods between our houses and spend all afternoon together, sometimes camping out.

But things got complicated in our teens.

By the time I got her letter, I hadn't talked to her in years.

I didn't even know she had my address.

She was in Panama, in Bocas del Toro.

It's a series of islands close to Costa Rica.

Apparently, she'd gone with an organization to help sea turtles protect their habitat or something.

But really, it sounds like she went to get away and to get sober.

The letter was mostly about what she was up to in Panama, working in a vegan pizza place down there.

Before I could write her back, I found out she took her own life.

My mom saw it on Facebook.

So you're still in touch with her mom?

This is Noah.

He grew up with Willow, too.

He's now a psychiatrist up in Seattle.