Like it. I just read "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" on the subway (nyc, the A) and completely fell apart crying. That's the second time this month. Shit like that should be regulated. Today after I recovered I asked myself "How did he write that story?"
Brilliant!
Your last line, "I am, stone by stone, built of regret," evoked this thought bubble: "Aren't we all?"
Looking forward to more columns, wherever you land.