cnu-At my fortieth birthday party, my sister swung a baseball bat into…

there were more good days than bad.

Vanessa’s name appeared in our lives mostly through official notices.

Prison intake completed.

Program review.

Restitution schedule.

Parole eligibility date.

When Emma was seventeen, we received notice of Vanessa’s first parole hearing.

I sat with the letter at the kitchen table until Emma came home from school.

She was continue reading …