Mom
The photos worried me the most. Some were laid out neatly in old-school albums, peeking out from the plastic film covers that were carefully smoothed over them decades ago. Others floated around in drawers and closets. They told the story of a family - a family that knew happiness and brokenness almost in equal measure. Summer trips to Myrtle Beach. My prom (and wedding!). Cats - so. many. cats. Me and my sisters in Halloween costumes. My mom, looking glamorous in virtually every shot of her. My Pop (AKA stepdad) looking into the camera and holding up his hands in such a way that I can almost hear him uttering one of his catchphrases: "Outstanding!" I arrived in Oklahoma two weeks after my mother's death. I had two goals for the trip: clean the house (as much as I could, anyway) and bring one of my mom's cats back home with me. I'd spent years fretting over her tendency to take in strays. We used to joke about inheriting cats and now here we are. I can really onl...