Eleanor had stood beside the front door with flowers in a vase and a ridiculous expression of joy.

We had both believed we could protect our child from everything.

We couldn’t.

I understood that now without letting the realization crush me.

Parenthood was not a guarantee against suffering.

It was the daily decision to respond to someone’s needs with care and respect, even when the future was uncertain.

When Oliver was a month old, Chloe asked me to take her to the community college.

She wanted to speak to an adviser about the nursing prerequisites she could begin after her recovery and after settling into motherhood.