My Family Laughed At Me On My Birthday Without Knowing The House Was In My Name

that was no longer there.

I walked to the fireplace.

It was cold and clean, a dark opening in the wall that contained nothing.

I stood there for a while and thought about the locket. About the promise I had made to myself and watched burn. About the word participant sitting in plastic on the coffee table while they laughed. About thirty-four years of continue reading …