Later that evening, after having sandwiches and more pie, I sat next to Walt with Casey on my lap in the bosom of my family as we watched Wall-E. It was a favorite of the kids, and I hadn’t seen it, so it was new to me. From time to time, I would catch the eye of one of my brothers or my mom, and they would smile and wink at me, or give a subtle “thumbs up.” I would have been embarrassed, but I knew they meant well. Having Walt next to me, his arm warm around my shoulders and Casey snuggled up to us, was all that I’d ever hoped for.
Casey fell asleep before the end of the movie, so I helped Walt put her to bed. She didn’t move a muscle as we set her under the covers in her room. We left her door slightly ajar, and there was a night light on since she was afraid of the dark.
Walt looked a
