“Stop overreacting, you’re ruining her day!” my mother hissed, grabbing my hair and pushing me over the balcony railing at my sister’s party. I blacked out. When I woke up, the upscale venue was surrounded by federal agents, and my mother was sobbing on her knees while my sister held a document and begged me…

offer empty platitudes. I just held him until his breathing evened out, until the sheer exhaustion of the trauma pulled him under into a deep, dreamless sleep. I kissed his forehead, my jaw clenched so tightly my teeth ached.

When I descended the stairs, the living room was dark, save for the blue glow of a laptop screen and the harsh light of William’s continue reading …