For some reason, it felt important to share this memory of Cal that has stayed with me. I met Cal when we were both volunteering for a conference. It must have not been long after they got married; I remember their glow as they spoke of Immi and of their wedding in the St John’s chapel. A part of our jobs as conference volunteers was to man the reception desks at Exam Schools which, after the first day, went largely ignored. To stop mind-numbing boredom from setting in, we chatted about whatever happened to come to mind. Occasionally we became self-conscious that a loitering attendee might overhear us, but the concern was always quickly forgotten. It was in this way that I got to know Cal, albeit only for a few days. What stuck with me most from our conversations was an offer that Cal made which caught me completely off-guard. Upon learning of my family situation, they suggested that I should meet their mum, because “she loves taking people in — her best friend from university had a similar experience”. Their suggestion was so genuine, and their willingness to extend compassion so immediate and without hesitation, that I didn’t really know how to react. Probably due to a combination of that and some latent anxiety about appearing overeager I never took them up on it, but it was an act of kindness that I found myself thinking about time and again. I did not have the privilege of getting to know Cal better, but in the brief time that our lives crossed, Cal left a bit of their generous, kind self in mine – and evidently, the same has been true for countless others. To Cal’s family – I cannot think of anything adequate to say except that I’m sorry. They spoke of you with such fondness and it was clear that kindness ran in the family. I can only hope that it may bring you some comfort, knowing the ways in which they live on through so many others’ lives.