In Time

In his telling — which came out slowly, over weeks, in pieces, because Hal does not spill, he leaks — he had lost me a long time ago too.

“When the kids came,” he said one night, “you went all in on them.

Which was right, I’m not saying it wasn’t right.

But there wasn’t any of you left over.

And I figured that was just how it was supposed to be, so I went and put myself into the plant, because at least there I was needed for something.” He said it without accusation, just tired and honest.

“I used to feel like a boarder in my own house, Gin.