But it was all there, in the schoolyard, in the way he never flinched.

The rescue that came later was not a change in his character.

It was simply his character, grown up.

Chapter 3 — The Prom Promise

In fourth grade, Gabriel made my sister a promise that I have never forgotten, because of the offhand certainty with which he made it, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

We were on the gravel playground, and he crouched down in front of Gemma so that they were eye to eye, the way you do with someone whose attention you genuinely want, and he said, “Gemma, when we’re older, I’m taking you to prom.

That’s a promise.”