My Five-Year-Old Grandson Called His Mother From Our Kitchen—Then Bank Records Revealed Where $41,200 Had Gone

I did not bury it beneath clothes.

I did not take it out again to see whether putting it back on would make the bedroom feel familiar.

The bed was familiar enough.

The empty space beside me was what I had to learn.

I slept badly, but I slept.

In the morning, I made toast before remembering that I did not need two plates.

I put one back in the cupboard.

Then I stood with the other in my hand until the toaster clicked.