Every Friday at 6 p.m. my daughter called me without fail, and the one week my phone stayed silent I drove to her house and heard a sound from upstairs that turned our quiet Tennessee life into something I still can’t fully talk about
“Space?” I repeated. “What trip? Where did they go?”
“Just out of town. Mother‑daughter time. They’ll be back in a few days.”
“Put Amelia on the phone.”
“They’re not here right now,” he said quickly. “Out exploring, I think. Look, Paul, I’ll have Allison call you when they get back. I’m sure she just needed a break from everything.”
