I Took My Nephew From a Shelter After His Mother Abandoned Him—Fifteen Years Later, He Held Her Life in His Hands

and fruit in his dresser drawers like he expected to be starved. He had nightmares that left him thrashing and crying out, though he never remembered them in the morning.

I learned to move slowly, to speak softly, to never corner him or make him feel trapped. I learned that he liked routine and predictability, that sudden changes made him anxious and continue reading …