Chapter 3

One of the things was a tape recorder I gave Grandma.

I was worried she'd get bored, so I taught her not just how to change stations, but also how to use it to record things.

On my way back, I listened to those recordings over and over again.

In it, Grandma said, "Sweetie, I'm old now, and I've lived enough. I can't keep dragging you down. Your dad's useless. He can't even pay off his own gambling debts, so how could he ever afford the medical bills? My eyes might be failing, but my mind's still sharp.

"Once I'm…