happen.
One morning, he asked me a careful question.
“Do you have any family nearby, Nancy? Anyone helping you?”
“Only a distant cousin named Raymond. He has been calling more often since I moved back.”
For one brief moment, Thomas’s expression changed.
His jaw tightened.
Then he relaxed and quickly changed the subject.
I did not understand why at the time.
That same week, Raymond’s calls became even more persistent.
“Are you seeing anyone?” he asked. “You shouldn’t be alone at your age.”
“I’m doing fine.”
“Have you made a
