I Gave Away the Birthday Chocolates, Then the Screaming Started

and felt that familiar cold weight settle at the base of my neck.

Evelyn does not write by hand.

Evelyn signs things. Checks. Charge slips. Permission forms. She doesn’t sit down and curl letters on thick white stationery for the stepdaughter she calls “overly emotional” at Thanksgiving, the stepdaughter she speaks about like I’m a smudge on the family continue reading …