throbbing ache of a hangover. She was sprawled on the sofa, and Jessie was curled in an armchair opposite her, l

he room spun. A smell wafted from the kitchen. Not the smel

n, her eyes still blurry, an

wearing a tiny dinosaur-print pajama set. He held a spatula with intens

he coffee maker was gurgling its final drops. On the table, four places were s

ef, was meticulously arrangi

et, this tiny, serious boy taking care of everyone. But a small, selfish part of her felt a pang of loss. Her s

l?" Her eyes focused on the scene in the kitchen, and her jaw dropped. "Hol

al. "You're being loud," he said, his tone that of a parent scolding a nois

of sheer bewilderment before shuffl

yolk perfectly runny. "He's always like this?" she asked, her

n feeding himself when he was two. By three

hirped from across the table,

s bacon into precise, bite-sized pieces. "That

It brought back a flash of a dark room, of a cold, arro

rossed his mother's face. He didn't say anything. He just p

ates, instructing Lily to go put her toys

ilee. "Just for a week. I need s

n her expression grew serious. "I need to take th

t's

bustling Brooklyn street below. "W

ars ago, despite her desperate efforts, the money hadn't come in time. Her mother h

would never fully heal, the driving

y seemed to dim. Leo walked over to his mother and took her hand, his

wn strength return. Before she could truly start her new l

close tha

ettling over them as they prepared to leave the apartment, completely unaware tha