PART 3   I stared at the hospital bracelet in the lunchbox until the letters of my own name blurred.

softly. “He loved me. He just didn’t know how to stay until much later.”

Clara thought about that.

Then she said, “But he came back?”

I kissed her hair.

“Yes. He came back.”

That night, after Clara fell asleep, I opened Mom’s notebook again.

The pages were worn now. Some had stains from soup and coffee. Some corners were taped.

On the last blank page, I wrote continue reading …