My girlfriend came home after a w

an irritable old woman slowly unraveled that armor.

Between grocery lists, bad meatloaf, and late-night game shows, I was seen in a way the foster system never managed: not as a case file, but as a person worth staying for.

Losing her and then being seemingly cut out of her will felt like proof that I’d been right all along: trust was a rigged game.

But continue reading …