Member-only story
Encumbered Spaces
Sometimes you just need someone to notice . . . and a little space of your own
I was halfway down the stairs when the gunshot rang out. The shock of hearing it propelled me the rest of the way down at an alarming speed, all the way to the door of the den. There, I paused, afraid of what I would find once I turned the door handle.
Covid-19 was upon us and we were trying to hunker down while still getting things done. My husband and I were both working from home and we had also brought my mother-in-law to stay with us during the crisis. Six months into our new routine, we were still making adjustments to our routines and schedules. It wasn’t easy, to say the least. It all took some time to get used to, with more than a little patience required from everyone.
My friend Ryan had a more complicated situation developing at his place. His older parents had moved in, along with his wife’s. Their adult children had also moved back in, along with their spouses, children and pets, so they were packed into the house like sardines. He described his once peaceful abode as a zoo, and I didn’t think he could take it much longer.
My uncle had taken his life years earlier, so I was already super sensitive to the issue of suicide. My father’s brother had always been depressed, even though they grew up in…
