Brenda was laughing before I reached the part where Robert accidentally sprayed himself, the fence, and our neighbor’s laundry.
Cooper nearly fell out of his chair.
When the laughter settled, there was sadness beneath it.
But nobody ran from that sadness.
Nobody hurried to cover it with another topic.
We let it sit among us.
Part of the family.
Not the whole family.
Just part.
Later, after everyone went inside, I remained on the porch.
The old house creaked softly around me.
I thought about the woman who had stood on a sidewalk with her suitcase while her children drove away.
She had believed the deepest wound was being told there was no room for her.
I understood now that the greater danger had been something quieter.
I had stopped making room for myself long before Brenda said those words.
I had filled my days with everyone else’s needs.
