She’s come twice since then. Once with me, and once with the whole family, on the anniversary of my father’s death, in May. Because we were visiting him anyway. Landry never says much at the grave site. I never do either. But this place is peaceful, and I think having a grave to visit has helped her.

She stands and kisses her fingers, then presses them to the top of the headstone. “Sleep well, baby girl,” she whispers. Then she follows me over three rows and down one, to where Mom and Penn stand in front of Dad’s headstone.

“Hey, Dad,” I say, while my brother scoots over to make room for us. “I guess Penn told you tomorrow’s the day.” But he didn’t, of course. Penn doesn’t talk to Dad. Not out loud, anyway. “He’s trading in his running shoes for boots and a rifle.” And more physics and calculus than anyone would ever take on a volunteer basis.

Penn reports to West Point in five days, and we’re all taking him. We’re making a family trip out of it: a three-day drive, then a day and a half in New York City, right before we drop him off.

I mean, we can only afford to stay in New Jersey, but we’ll get to see New York.

“He’d be so proud,” my mom says, wrapping her arm around Penn’s shoulders. “As I am.”

We all are. Penn’s going to get his dream. He’s going to work really, really hard for it, but he’s going to get it.

A month after we get back from New York, Jake leaves for Lubbock. He met several of his new teammates when he went down for freshman orientation last week, and he seems to like them.

I’m not sure he and I have forever in our future, but I’m sure we’re going to try. I mean, a guy who doesn’t give up on you even after you accuse him of getting some other girl pregnant …? He might just be worth fighting for.

School starts for Landry and me that same week. She’s going to be a freshman, and like all the other freshmen, she’s going to have to change for PE in the girls’ locker room. I’m not sure she’s ready to go in there again. The therapist says she may have issues, so Mom and I are kind of preparing for the worst. But hoping for the best.

On the bright side, the media has long since moved on from Lullaby Doe. Someone online mentions her from time to time, along with a few other “unsolved mysteries.” But suspicion and outrage are exhausting, and people have mostly moved on from the #babykiller obsession as well. Online, anyway.