Eighteen Years After Ray Abandoned Him on a Dirt Road, Thomas Found His Mother’s Letter

“It was later in the month.”

“I was in St.

Jude for eight days.” Diane kept her voice level.

“The fourteenth was a Thursday.

I remember because the nurse wrote the date on the whiteboard next to my bed.”

Ray rubbed the back of his neck, then picked up his water glass.

“Well, maybe it was the year before.

I’ve got a lot of paperwork.”