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

is smaller now. Derek. Emma. Me. His parents. A few friends who showed up with casseroles, court rides, tissues, and no advice about moving on. It is not the family I was born into, but it is the one that acted like family when it mattered.

On summer nights, the backyard lights still come on.

Different lights. Different meaning.

Sometimes Derek and I continue reading …