We All Live Here

It wasn’t as though having him there got in the way of Lila’s life (what life?), and Bill’s gentle presence gave what remained of their little family a much-needed sense of stability and continuity. This last family photograph is the first thing she sees in the morning, and the last she sees at night, and although she knows she should keep it where it won’t color her day, for some reason she hasn’t quite fathomed she can’t put it in the drawer. Dinner means they are Moving Forward. • • • One of the things Lila most enjoys about her new life is the scent of cooking that greets her when she comes into her house. It feels like the world is full of people betraying each other, or doing each other wrong, and when she finally commits the words to paper, she does so wanting to feel like she is not one of those people.