My Mother Fed the Man Behind Our House for Twenty Years—After Her Funeral, I Found Out He Was Family

“I remembered the dumplings.

I hope that’s all right.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

He looked out at the garden.

“For so long, someone carried food out to me.

I wanted to cook dinner for you, just once.”

I hung my coat on the hook and sat down.

He set a bowl in front of me, waited while I tasted it, and watched my face.