“It does.”

“Can we take it home for the planets?”

I nodded, and she slipped the stone into her pocket.

Then she reached for my hand as we turned toward the park.

I once believed the strongest family was the one that looked perfect to everybody else.

Eleven years of marriage had taught me how to perform that kind of happiness in public.

The months that followed showed me something harder and better: a safe home is built on ordinary truth, clear promises, and the freedom to ask questions without fear.