“My brother’s been a heroin addict on and off. Mostly on. I...

“My brother’s been a heroin addict on and off. Mostly on. I never see him, but when I do, he acts like we talk all the time, and hits me up for twenty bucks. And I give it to him. Because I never know if it’s going to allow him to eat a meal or have a place to sleep. But I’m sure he spends it all on drugs. At first I was angry. Then for awhile, I was hopeful that he’d change. Now I just try to feel nothing, and the less I see him, the easier that is. My parents have gotten old quick because of him. Mom gets panic attacks and my dad is addicted to Xanax. And we have a protocol in our family, that you always have to text before calling, because otherwise we assume that he’s overdosed again.”