“Do you mind if I hold him?” she asked, nodding at Miles.

I watched her carefully.

“Wash your hands first.”

She did, then sat on the couch while Miles inspected the buttons on her cardigan.

She looked both happy and uncertain.

“I used to think Mom was protecting our family,” she said.

“Whenever someone questioned her, she’d say they wanted to take what Dad had built.”

“What changed?”