Thanksgiving was at Rosa’s house.
It was small. Me, Mom, Rosa, Rosa’s neighbor Mrs. Kowalski, who’s ninety and brought a pecan pie, and the three dogs, who ate more turkey than any of us. Rosa made the green chile stew again because Mom asked for it, and also a turkey, and also tamales, because Rosa doesn’t believe in having only one main dish.
Before we ate, Rosa asked me to say grace.
I’m not great at praying. I stood there with my hands folded and everyone looking at me, and for a second I didn’t know what to say.
“Thank you for bringing my mom home,” I said finally. “Not home yet. But close. Thank you for Aunt Rosa. And Gloria, and Celeste, and Officer Chavez, and Monique. And thank you for the guy who wrote the note in his notary journal, even though he messed up. Amen.”
“Amen,” Mom said. She was smiling.
After dinner, I sat with her on Rosa’s back patio under a string of little lights while the dogs chased each other around the pepper plants.
“I’m going to take a semester off,” I said. “Maybe a year. Stay here until this is done. Help you get home.”
Mom turned her head and looked at me.
“No, you’re not.”
“Mom—”
“Julian Saunders. You listen to me. I let a man convince me I was helpless. I let him put me on a laundry room floor because I believed I didn’t deserve anything better. I’m not going to let anybody convince you of the same thing. Not even me.”
“But who’s going to make sure you’re okay?”
“Rosa. Monique. The aide, if I get approved. Celeste. The judge.” She almost laughed. “I have more people looking out for me now than I’ve had in years. You did that. You don’t have to stay to keep doing it.”
“I’ll come home every break.”
“You’d better.”
“And you have to answer the phone. Every night. And if you ever say ‘everything’s fine’ and it isn’t—”
“I’ll tell you,” she said. “I promise. No more fine.”
Specialty: Quiet Comebacks & Personal Justice
David Reynolds focuses on stories where underestimated individuals regain control of their lives. His writing centers on measured decisions rather than dramatic outbursts — emphasizing preparation, patience, and the long game. His characters don’t shout; they act.