Fallout (Crank 3)

It all looks so normal—any

family anywhere—

it’s almost enough to

make you forget

how abnormal this “family”

really is. Two

artificial parents; two

orphans. One

total mystery. And me.

LIGHTS, GARLAND, AND ORNAMENTS HUNG

The tree still looks sad to me.

It’s not that the decorations

are old (and they are). It’s that

they were all arranged without love.

This isn’t the first loveless Christmas

I’ve spent. Foster homes, however

solid, are all barren of that emotion.

You don’t dare care about someone

you probably won’t know in a year.

But I’ve had beautiful holidays

with both sets of grandparents—

Carl and Jean. Scott and Marie.

The ones with Grandma Marie

were especially special because

Hunter was there too. My brother.

The one I hardly ever get to see.

But when I do, he’s always pretty

much amazing to me. Because

he gets to be with his sister (me).

The one he hardly ever gets to see.