It wasn’t a symbol of guilt anymore.

It was just a bag carrying books, pens, and a lunch Colleen insisted on packing even though I told her I was old enough to do it myself.

Sometimes recovery looks disappointingly ordinary.

I began to appreciate that.

PART 16

The letter from Dad arrived at the beginning of February.

It came through my lawyer rather than directly to me, because the contact rules were still in place.

Colleen put the sealed envelope on the kitchen table and asked whether I wanted to open it now, later, or never.