Evelyn’s Chair

Against the living room wall and perpendicular to the couch: this is where Evelyn would sit, straight-backed, when we came to visit for the holidays. My dad’s mom died when he was five, and Evelyn took over that role when he was about nine. Grandmother Evelyn leaned more toward Socrates than snickerdoodles, but she held a genuine warmth and released it with care.

Carmichael, California, USA, circa 2000