porch.
Lorraine in her sun hat.
Bear sitting perfectly still beside the flower bed.
Those evenings became some of his favorite memories.
Then, when Bear was eleven months old, Lorraine found a lump.
The illness moved quickly.
Seven months later, she could barely leave her bed.
Henry cared for her full-time.
Then the county called.
Bear had reached fourteen months.
It was time for him to report to the academy.
Henry stood in the bedroom doorway holding the phone.
“I could tell them we’re keeping him.”
Lorraine lay beneath the
