I wore the apple apron. This time, someone else washed the dishes.

After dinner, we wrapped ourselves in blankets on the screened porch while rain drifted through the trees. No one asked me to refill a glass. No one treated the house as though it existed solely for their comfort.

Sophie rested her head against my shoulder.

“Do you miss him?” she asked.

“Sometimes.”

She looked surprised. “After everything?”