us stopped speaking.

Jenna’s smile disappeared.

My brother turned toward our mother.

My father lowered the glass he was holding.

And I stood there, staring at Carol as though I had never seen her before.

She seemed pleased with herself.

Perhaps she thought she had made a clever observation.

Perhaps she expected everyone to laugh.

Then she added the words that finally shattered something inside me.

“Maybe next year she’ll look more like a normal child in the family photographs.”

I heard a small gasp from somewhere behind me.

Jenna