“I don’t understand why you’re beating yourself up about it,” Mal said, not even bothering to look at me as she spoke. “Sounds to me like the trip went really well.”

I was sitting on Mal’s large, plush king-sized bed discussing everything that had happened since I left. I kicked my legs anxiously over the edge. “It went well,” I agreed with a nod. “But that’s just it. It went well, and nothing else.”

Mal was kneeling on the floor, stuffing some clothes ...