It had been a house filled with rules, expectations and endless comparisons.
The apartment above the garage became my first real home because it was peaceful and the clubhouse somehow felt peaceful too.
That realization caught me completely off guard.
While dinner cooked the women talked about everything from school fundraisers to birthday parties and grocery prices.
Nobody talked over anyone else or competed for attention. They simply enjoyed being together.
I found myself laughing much more than I spoke and at one point Emma looked at me with a knowing smile.
“You laugh more now.” She said.
“Do I?” I asked.
“Every day.” She said. She wasn’t wrong.
A loud crash echoed from outside before several children came running through the back door.
The youngest little girl thre
