My daughter-in-law laughed as she gave me a $2 scratch-off for my 73rd birthday. Ten months later, my own son shoved a senior living brochure in front of me and said, “We already picked your room.” They thought I was too old to fight back. They had no idea what I had been hiding.

PART 22

My seventy-fifth birthday arrived on a bright Saturday.

I woke early, brewed coffee, and sat in the garden watching sparrows splash in the birdbath.

Arthur’s old reading chair was beside the back window.

Sophie had made a paper banner with stars across it, and Helen was coming over with flowers.

Colin asked if he could host a birthday lunch at his new house.

I said yes, provided nobody expected me to bake the cake.