Captain began waiting near the front window on Fridays before her car arrived.
Lily started marking Evelyn’s visits on the calendar until the markings became unnecessary.
One spring evening, almost two years after Claire’s death, Daniel found Lily at the kitchen table drawing.
“Dad.”
He stopped.
He would never entirely stop feeling something when she said that word.
“Yeah?”
She held up a picture.
Birch Road.
Oak tree.
Four figures.
Daniel.
Lily.
Evelyn.
Captain.
Then, above them, one small yellow star.
Daniel looked at it.
“Who’s that?”
Lily looked at him like the answer was obvious.
“Mom.”
His throat closed.
“She needs to be there.”
“Yes.”
“But not on the ground.”
Daniel sat beside her.
“No.”
Lily colored the star.
“Because she died.”
“Yes.”
“But she’s family.”
“Yes.”
Daniel put one arm around her.
Lily leaned against him.
“Evelyn is family too.”
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
From the doorway came a very small sound.
Daniel looked up.
Evelyn stood there holding two grocery bags.
Her face had gone completely still.
Lily looked at her.
“You can put those down.”
Evelyn did.
“You heard?”
“Yes.”
Lily nodded.
“Good.”
Then returned to coloring.
Daniel laughed through tears.
Evelyn covered her mouth.
Lily looked between them.
“Adults cry too much.”