When the Eight-Year-Old Boy We Were Adopting Came Home With Everything He Owned in a Black Bag—Then My Missing Brother’s Watch Fell Onto His Bed

Just absence.

Our parents died never knowing what happened to him.

And now his watch was lying on the bed of the eight-year-old boy Julian and I were trying to adopt.

I heard Oliver downstairs.

Then Julian laughing softly.

My knees went weak.

I picked up the watch.

Not by the face.