When my mom broke her arm and had to have surgery to pin it in place, I took the first plane I could get back there.

Nine years had passed since I’d graduated high school and left, but the small town always looked the same. My mother said she was fine and scolded me for making such a fuss over nothing, but I knew she was glad I’d come home. I fixed dinner and cleaned up, only to find her ready to go to bed at 7:30, which left me stuck watching a movie that I’d seen countless times.

The next evening, I told my mother I was going to see if I could run into any of my old friends. I drove past one of the three bars in town and saw a total of three cars in the parking lot, so I headed over to another one. That lot was full.

The place was packed, but I didn’t see anyone I recognized.... Read More