Then he got excited about my college acceptance, and I thought that settled it.

But he was mostly excited because his friends would be impressed.”

I sat across from him.

The words hurt because there was no way to change that afternoon at the school, or the countless afternoons that followed it.

There were only new ways to listen now.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Because I noticed some of it and kept finding ways to explain it away.”