“You didn’t.”

She smiled.

“Then promise you’ll keep making room for yourself too.”

“I promise.”

Outside, the garden leaves rattled in a soft evening wind.

From the kitchen I could hear Lucas asking whether Marian wanted tea when she woke.

He waited for my answer instead of assuming.

The first time I came home and found Mom on that basement mattress, I thought teaching my husband a lesson would mean embarrassing him as completely as he had embarrassed her.