THANKSGIVING DAY—5 MONTHS LATERIt’s been almost six months since the episode that put me on the floor, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about it. Every moment, I’m in a state of hyper-vigilance, overthinking every little twitch and malaise in my body. Then, there are the crushing headaches that come on at a moment’s notice, sending me to the bedroom to lie down in darkness when I should be up and with my wife, son, and daughter. Thomas is home from SU for the holiday. I haven’t seen him in almost three months. My two kids are growing up so fast, and I don’t want to miss a moment.
I roll out of bed and sit up, looking out the window. It’s Thanksgiving today, the yearly gathering of our giant extended family at the Taratoni mansion. There’s a new wrinkle this year, too. My mother’s
