how to manage the countless daily tasks that required adaptation. I learned how to be strong when he broke down late at night, overwhelmed by the permanence of his condition.
I worked part-time at a grocery store, taking evening and weekend shifts. I studied for my GED since I’d essentially dropped out of traditional high school. I learned very quickly how to stretch a dollar impossibly thin, how to survive without any kind of safety net.
And when prom season arrived that spring, I convinced Michael to go with me.
People stared when we arrived at the decorated gymnasium. Some whispered to each other behind their hands. Some looked away uncomfortably, not knowing how to react. I didn’t care at all what any of them thought. To me, Michael was still the smartest, kindest, most wonderful person I knew. The one who laughed at my terrible jokes. The one who
