Chapter 2
Christmas
By Christmas week, I was well settled into my new job. The work was plentiful, everything from “The bulb blew over the sink” to “My toilet is overflowing,” both at three A.M. I also got a call when Mr. Finerini couldn’t reach the top of his tree to put the star on. I didn’t mind. It surprised me to learn I kind of liked people—most of them—in small doses. As long as I had my quiet time too, I was okay. Maybe I was finally getting better.
I’d had my parents over for dinner the Monday before Christmas. I explained the apartment’s sparse décor by claiming I’d gotten rid of a lot during the move. My mother had dropped off a huge box the next day. I’d asked her how she’d even gotten it up the steps. She was strong—of body and mind—that was how, and I admired that. “Some e
