I’m capable of looking after myself,” Ruth replied.

Then she softened.

“And the two of you are capable of looking after each other.”

On her last evening, she left a covered dish in the refrigerator and a list of emergency contacts on the counter.

Not because we were helpless, she said, but because everybody benefited from a list when tired.

After she left, Jenna walked into the kitchen and stared at the empty chair.

“It’s too quiet,” she said.