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

“Could we have a little window at the next place?” “We’ll look for one,” I promised.

It was a promise I could actually keep.

That night I made a list called Things I Can Control.

At the top I wrote: who picks Harper up; where we sleep; how I speak to her; whom I call for help; how much truth I tell the professionals assisting us.

Underneath I wrote Things I Cannot Control.

Carter’s explanations, the pace of the case, the opinions of distant relatives, and the past filled that column quickly.

I didn’t stop worrying, but the paper gave my thoughts somewhere to rest.