Two of the middle children entered high school.
Another became obsessed with painting.
Our house remained noisy, crowded, and imperfect.
There were slammed doors, forgotten chores, burnt dinners, birthday celebrations, school dances, and late-night conversations at the kitchen table.
There was grief too.
Claire’s absence never disappeared completely. It simply changed shape.
The children stopped asking when she was coming home, but they still wondered what she would think of their grades, their friends, or the people they were becoming.
Noah eventually left for college.
Watching him carry his boxes out to the car was one of the proudest and most painful moments of my life.
The suspicious nine-year-old who had once watched me as though I might vanish had grown into a thoughtful young man.
He had Claire’s eyes.
That was why seeing fear inside them on that Friday evening frightened me so deeply.
I Saw Her Laugh”
Noah had taken a weekend trip with several college friends to Cresthollow, a small coastal town about four hours from our home.
