At 3 A.M., My Brother Dragged Me Out of My Bedroom While Dad Laughed—He Had No Idea What the Smoke Detector Had Recorded

Moved a chair closer to the window.

There were still repairs I needed to make.

Bills to pay.

Relationships to understand.

Some days would be difficult.

Others ordinary.

I could live with that.

The toast popped up.

I reached for a plate.

Through the open bedroom doorway, I could see the lamp, the bed, and the quiet hallway.

Nothing moved.

I turned back to breakfast.

And let the morning continue.