Her Own Making: A Family

e of a sprawling university campus, a world away from

hand furniture and thin wa

ime in years, I

sing myself in textbooks on quantu

omfort, a predictable and orderly world that was the

dies with a singula

ing my family' s toxic dynamics, was finally free to wo

ance, the neglected niec

a programmer, a

ecoming

left, Michael s

my new number from a

st few calls, but

red, wanting to

t talk to me," he sai

lk about, Michael," I r

desk, a complex circuit di

felt ver

ing," he said, hi

what yo

e peanut

emember

ed abo

thing she' s lied ab

not my prob

, for th

e your

k

, and for a moment, he so

. I worry

e ar

you

fine,

d you to wor

ng care o

lp you," h

send yo

an.

your money,"

ant anythin

ust leave

all before he

e his own guilt, to feel li

a cage I had ju

m pull me back in,

t came a few

from my

but a morbid curiosity

ipped of its earlier rage, replac

lk about your

art s

ed with all my childhood memories, had been pa

t?" I asked,

ell it," he

ss has had

te some assets to

city of it lef

king, he was

home to cover his own

ife, this had

e story, and I, beaten down an

ust a house, that fami

Bethany a new convertible and fund a lavish Europe

r saw

" I

l, but it felt as

n, no?" he sputt

is is a seri

lose eve

problem, not a me proble

use belo

to me in my

as a trustee, a position

st you that will expose every fraudulent transaction yo

intake of breath on the

my silence, on my unwil

gined I woul

e whispered, a threat a

id, and I hung

s were

ad taken more out o

d held m

liant girl he ha

t recognize, and frankly, someone

re was a knock on

od ran

knew I

the peephole and

s Mic

or "convinced" our mutual acqu

ind

s a vio

ad been

but blocked the en

ou doing he

ked te

loodshot, and h

lding a f

you," he said,

ncle ca

me what

can' t

estroy you

mily," I said, m

any

egged, trying

d my

s just

ht the

pr

re i

for Bethany...

s a m

s a

ground, then back at

rve it, but I' m aski

e fix

e hel

rough with t

ind anot

with me, using his own

ears of betrayal by tearin

no other w

ere is

ed to

his desperation

ing until you

hed for

ely, I fli

ouch me,"

peak again, I did somethi

out of the folder on

gal separation agreemen

iting for the

was

to him along

eed from you, Micha

he document, h

or...

aid, my voice

d then get o

go

hing for any sign of doubt, any flicker of

und n

er with cold eyes an

ers slumpe

h a shaking hand, he sig

a final, sev

and the pen back to

y, El," he

ow,"

oment, I almo

he was only just beginnin

asn' t enough

ugh to make me

deadbolt into place, and leaned against

as d

lding me to my pa