Defending Jacob

by William Landay

“Well, I don’t want to get all Cliff Huxtable here, but I don’t think you’re nothing.” “Who’s Cliff Huxtable?” “Never mind.”

It did not matter that once she had held that baby boy in her arms and whispered in his ear, “Sh, sh.” At this point, nobody gave a shit.

(He used to lie right on my chest for naps when he was a baby. He had been no bigger than a loaf of bread.)