Chapter 26 - Three years later
Three years after the kitchen vent, Ellie was seven.
Nora was ten.
Paige was thirty-four.
Vivian was thirty-eight.
I was thirty-nine.
Paige had remained sober.
Not magically.
She still attended meetings.
Still saw an addiction counselor monthly.
Still had difficult weeks.
Nora lived with her full time.
Marlene and David remained family, not former foster parents erased after reunification.
Nora spent one weekend a month with them because she enjoyed it.
One Saturday, Paige and Nora came to our house.
We made grilled cheese.
No reason.
Rainy afternoon.
Ellie stood at the counter.
“I do butter.”
“Too much,” I said.
“No.”
“Yes.”
Nora laughed.
“Thomas always says too much.”
“You are ten. Do not undermine me.”
She added more butter.
Mutiny.
Then a slice of bread fell.
It landed near the baseboard where the old vent once was.
Everyone noticed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Nora looked down.
Ellie looked at her.
Then Ellie picked it up.
“Trash.”
She threw it away.
That was it.
No bread through bars.
No whisper.
No hungry hand.
A slice touched the floor and became garbage.
Ordinary enough to make my throat tighten.
Paige noticed.
She put one hand on my shoulder.
No words.
The girls returned to arguing about cheese.
May you like
Recovery often arrives without announcing itself.
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