They Laughed When Soda Was Dumped in My Lap. That Night, I Removed My Name From the Loan

opening it. When the evening ended, I hugged the relatives who expected hugs and said goodbye to the ones who didn’t, and I walked to my car in the parking lot with soda still drying on my dress and something new hardening in my spine.

The drive back to Portland was silent. No music, no podcasts, no phone calls. Just the hum of the highway and the slow,continue reading …