We signed him up, and Mark offered to help drive him on his weekends.

For once, nobody tried to outdo the other parent.

We compared calendars and chose the simplest arrangement.

That evening I put the graduation photograph on a shelf beside the cardboard bridge.

Looking at the three of us, I felt sadness for what had been lost and gratitude for what remained.

Both feelings belonged there.

I had once thought a successful ending required a grand reversal in court.

Now I knew that sometimes it was a child smiling between two adults who had finally learned not to make him choose.