Dad opened the coffee shop’s door and allowed me to walk inside first. There was hardly anyone inside because it was Thursday in the middle of the day.

But what would a trip to the bookstore be without coffee?

I knew Dad was attempting to distract me from the drama surrounding us. I appreciated it. A day out of the pack house felt nice. It made life seem more real.

I’d bought a few old romance novels to bid my time, though I knew what I’d read when I got ...