“They may have.”

I spent that night looking out at the pecan tree, watching wind move through its leaves.

It struck me that I had once been certain Leticia was the only person who truly understood how lonely I was.

Now, in a small guesthouse with two sleeping family members down the hall, I realized I had mistaken closeness for isolation.

At breakfast Connie said, “You look like you slept in a truck.”

“I didn’t sleep much.”