I Was Lifting Our Heavy Mattress to Search for an Earring I Had Dropped Behind the Bedframe – I Expected to Find Some Dust, but What Was Carefully Taped Beneath His Side of the Mattress Made Me Slowly Sit Down on the Uncovered Floor

my lap without asking, and I let him stay.

***

Months later, Milo had a room at our house for weekends. Brenda’s treatments were going well, and we made the drive together now.

I let him stay.

On the bathroom mirror, a new sticky note had appeared in Ethan’s careful handwriting.

“Thank you for choosing us.”

I smiled, and somewhere down the hall, I heard continue reading …