I had thought the bottle was a cruel lie invented by Tiffany.

For the first time, I wondered whether it was part of an older lie the adults in my family had already been keeping.

PART 7

Colleen explained that when my mother was alive, she had managed most of the family’s appointments and paperwork.

After her death, Dad kept the same insurance plan through his employer.

He complained constantly about the cost of deductibles and prescriptions.

Tiffany, meanwhile, had begun struggling with anxiety after leaving community college.