We sat around our long kitchen table in Evanston.
The panda mug sat in the center with flowers in it.
Not white roses.
Yellow tulips.
Lily’s choice.
One by one, people told their piece.
Daniel told how he drove from Milwaukee cursing Ryan’s name so creatively that Siri stopped responding.
Dana told how Lily screamed like a tiny opera singer.
Maribel told how newborn safety plans are really mother safety plans too.
Priya told how the law can be blunt, slow, imperfect, and still sometimes useful as a shield.
Eli spoke last.
He looked at Lily, not at me.
“Your mom called,” he said. “I came. That’s the whole thing.”
Lily raised an eyebrow.
“That is not the whole thing.”
He smiled.
“No. But it’s the important part. People make care complicated when they want credit for it. Most of the time, if someone calls and you can come, you come.”
