“People come here because they want to grow something themselves, Lucas.”

I had taken that as a rejection of my generosity.

Now I recognized it as a description of a life I had never learned how to live.

A text arrived from Paige: Hannah was moved out of the highest-monitoring unit.

She’s tired but improving.

Benjamin says she still wants space.

I wrote back: Thank you for telling me.

I won’t go there.