Every Time My Daughter Came Home Unresponsive, My Husband Told Me Not to Worry. The Recording in Her Backpack Revealed Why.

The new house didn’t erase the past.

Harper still had nights when she wanted the light on.

I still checked the locks more often than I needed to.

There were appointments, questions about school records, and occasional messages from lawyers.

But the space slowly filled with things we chose.

A bright rug in the living room.

A shelf for her drawings.

My mother’s old mixing bowls in the kitchen.