"Hello."
I could see him stood about 5 feet in front of me, typing his greeting instead of trying to catch my attention.
We were meeting in person for the first time.
I had seen him about 10 seconds earlier in my peripheral, with his 6'3" frame and ginger hair standing out among a sea of Japanese people. I didn't look all the way up. He was a few minutes late and I didn't want to seem too eager.
I didn't know that sunny Sunday in October that I had met my future husband, but there I was on a first date with a cute British guy who loved films, photography, and could carry on an actual conversation without pretense.
Fast-forward seven years and here we were: happily married, proud dog parents to our rescue pup, and facing a challenge we never would've have foreseen. Melanoma. Cancer. Stage IV.
As we let the reality of our situation settle with us, I asked him about his project. He'd been working on this photo project since moving to Canada in 2019 while he was waiting for his permanent residency to come through. It was meant to be part of his application to Sheridan College, where he wanted to get a "refresher" so he could pursue work in film and TV in Canada.
Knowing that his time left was limited, we talked about his art. He told me about his creative projects, the stories he wanted to tell, and the shop he wanted to open. He didn't know how he'd do it, with so much left to do and so little energy left in his tired body.
I told him, "we can do it together."
Rich passed away on December 18, 2022, after a 20-month battle with his disease. His last few months were spent mostly in the hospital, but he left a legacy behind with his art, his journals, his project notes, and everything in between.
Zarvis Art is Rich's creative legacy. It's his final creative project that he never had the time and energy to put into the world himself. I promised him that I would find a way to do it for him. It is my hope that by bringing his art into the world, I can help him achieve his dream of sharing his stories and becoming a working artist.
I hope I can make him proud.