CNU-My daughter-in-law said Christmas would be easier if I stayed away, and my son did not even raise his eyes to defend me. So I stayed home, alone, exactly as requested. …

fatigue of places built for endings. He had lost weight. His wrists were marked faintly red where cuffs had sat.

For a moment neither of us spoke.

Then he said, “You were right.”

It was not triumphant to hear. Nothing about that room permitted triumph.

“I didn’t want to be,” I said.

He sat down slowly across from me.

“I kept telling myself I wasn’t really continue reading …