Then I went downstairs, where Mia was making a paper giraffe with eight legs.

‘It’s a very fast giraffe,’ she explained.

For the first time in years, I put the old photograph on the mantel instead of hiding it away.

PART 14

Not every week got easier.

One Monday in November, the school called because Lucas had shoved another child at recess.

The principal explained that the other boy had teased him about not having a real family.

Lucas had reacted without thinking, and the teachers had separated them immediately.