Before leaving, Mom stood beside the wedding photographs.
She picked up the picture of Daniel and me during our first dance.
The second one.
The one we’d finally completed after the smoke cleared.
She studied it.
“You look happy.”
I nodded.
“I was.”
She traced the edge of the frame with her finger.
Then she said quietly, “I’m sorry I interrupted that.”
I looked at her.
“Thank you.”
She placed the photograph back on the table.
And for once, she didn’t add an explanation.
***
A few weeks later, Khloe invited me to help choose a gift for the baby.
She didn’t ask me to pay for the furniture.
She didn’t ask me to cover another month’s rent.
She wanted my opinion about two small blankets she’d found.
One had yellow stars.
The other had tiny pink flowers.
She sent photographs.
I looked at them while sitting beside Daniel on the sofa.
He glanced at my phone.
“What’s that?”
“Khloe’s choosing baby blankets.”
He smiled.
“Which one do you like?”
“The yellow one.”
“Then tell her.”
