When they moved away from Waco many years ago, I always knew the Lake kids would come back to me as grown adults. It was one of the things I thought about and looked forward to often. Now that Avery, Sutton, and Jude are here, I’m dreading the years when they’ll potentially depart again.

They come over most weeks. I’ll cook a meal, we’ll share about our weeks, and we all do a pretty good job at pretending that I’m not remembering their dad with quick glances and recognitions. But mostly, I’m making new friends out of old ones, and our times together have been the highlight of my year.