I resigned from the out-of-state project that week.

My company offered me a lower-paying regional position based in Austin, and I accepted it before the sentence was finished.

For years, I had believed that being a good father meant sending home a large paycheck.

I had learned, far too late, that no bank deposit can ever substitute for simply being present.

We rented a small two-bedroom apartment near Maya’s school, and on our first morning there, I put a basket on the kitchen counter, filled with fresh fruit, and granola bars, and bread, and chocolate.

The next morning, the basket was completely empty.