I Came Home to an Empty RV Pad and Security Footage I Was Not Prepared For

salute in the direction of the camera he did not know was recording him, and they walked out together.

I watched the footage twice. Then I called my mother.

She answered on the second ring with the bright, effortful warmth of someone who has prepared a tone for this exact phone call, a performance of normalcy intended to establish the frame before I continue reading …