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

I could hear traffic outside.

A car door closing.

Someone speaking in the hall.

Ordinary sounds.

Inside the office, my father remained frozen on the screen.

His hand near his sleeve.

His mouth slightly open.

The words he’d spoken were still there.