you got to keep them close. you got to love them unconditionally. in san antonio, makenzie gongora was just 9 years old, in the fourth grade. she called me aunt vicky. it had like this little whimsical lilt to it, like a little fairy saying my name. in arlington, texas, helen eltuk was just 20 years old. studying to be a pediatrician. and her mother told us something we ve heard so often along the way here. family members picking up the phone to call loved ones before remembering they re gone. today, i called her. i just called her thinking she was there. and then when i realized and i stopped, she wasn t around. captain eric segura of laredo, texas, was just 45. a 25-year veteran of the laredo fire department, on the front lines. an ems in this pandemic.