The woman studied me for a second.
***
My parents had died in a fire that swallowed almost everything we owned.
I went back through the smoke and carried Vicky out.
After that, the court approved a temporary guardianship arrangement while everything else was sorted out.
I went back through the smoke and carried Vicky out.
Denise and Howard were now seeking permanent guardianship, with Denise repeatedly insisting that adoption would follow.
I deferred college. Took a morning warehouse shift and worked evenings at a grocery store around Vicky’s school and after-school care.
Learned which detergent didn’t make Vicky itch.
Signed school forms.