As for us, things are different now. I moved my hours at the county office so I can pick Emma up from school myself at 3:15 PM.

Every Thursday, we stop by the Sunoco on Route 4. Maeve doesn’t work the register anymore because I helped her get a job at the school library where she has dental insurance and regular hours.

Yesterday, Emma slid her new essay across our kitchen table. The title at the top read: My Family.

There were three drawings on the page. Me, Emma, and Maeve holding a blue notebook with a yellow puppy sticker.

I smiled, and for the first time in three years, the knot in my stomach was completely gone.