I Gave Away the Birthday Chocolates, Then the Screaming Started

in an old college T-shirt, hair twisted in a towel, toothbrush hanging out of my mouth, when my phone lit up with the first call.

Dad.

I answered because habit is a hard thing to kill.

“Hey, birthday boy’s father,” I said around toothpaste. “If this is about the chocolates, they were nice. Unnecessary, but nice.”

“Kendall,” he said, and his voice sounded continue reading …