The nurse asked me to choose which photograph to put beside his bed

Dear Delyara, My husband is in a coma after a stroke. The nurses encouraged us to bring photographs so staff could know something about the person in the bed. I brought an entire envelope and then discovered I had to choose. Which version of forty-one years do you place beside a ventilator? Our wedding, where he had hair and I had no idea how difficult we would eventually become? The photograph holding our first daughter, terrified and proud? Him fishing with our grandson? The one from last Christmas where he looks older but exactly like the man who left the breakfast table eight days ago? I chose a ridiculous photograph from Greece where a seagull had just stolen food from his hand and he was shouting at the camera. His mouth is open, his eyes alive, one arm raised. The nurse laughed when she saw it. She said, “Now that looks like somebody with personality.” I wanted to tell her he is still somebody with personality. Present tense. Everyone around me is careful with grammar now. I am careful too. Tonight, that stupid photograph is propped beside machines while the actual man lies completely still. I keep looking from one to the other, trying to decide which one is currently more truthful.