The Message From My Son That Forced An Impossible Choice – The Archivist

more closely. “Did you draw all of these yourself?”

A tiny nod.

“Where did you learn about anatomy? These are really detailed.”

He was quiet for so long I thought he wouldn’t answer. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper: “Library books. Before.”

Before. Before his mother had decided he was too weird, too much trouble, too broken to keep.

“Would you continue reading …