The Space She Left Behind
“I was living off of Mountain Dew, cannabis, adrenaline, and anxiety about my mother’s health. My younger brother and I had discussed how we would handle things if it was time for her to go.”
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Holidays
“He was crying hysterically because he was obviously scared. I was scared, too. But I had to pretend otherwise, for him and for me. If I didn’t, I wouldn't survive.”
Alcohol
"I would cover her with a blanket and kiss her forehead, because I saw that on TV before. That’s how moms tuck in their kids. But my mom told me TV was fake anyway, and she was right."
The House
Deprivation
"I grabbed the small Little Tykes kid’s stool and it made me just tall enough to hoist myself up onto the counter to access the cabinet that held the peanut butter. I would put the stool back and run into the living room with the tub of creamy Jif."