When I got there, she walked out with her small bag slung over her shoulder. She didn’t look upset, just tired. She got into the car, buckled her seatbelt, and sat quietly for a while. Then she turned to me and said, “Thanks for always coming. You’re the one I can count on.” I had to swallow hard before I answered, because those words cut right through me. It was the kind of truth you don’t forget.
