carefully.
Across the river, the city moved on without us. Cars crossed the bridge. A dog barked somewhere behind the trees. The world was ordinary and bright and impossible.
Clara leaned her head against my shoulder.
For years, I had believed family was the group of people you kept saving, no matter how often they pulled you under.
But standing there with my wife and our son, I understood something my mother never had.
Family is not who demands a seat at your table.
Family is who makes sure everyone at that table is safe.
