I snuck a treat from each child’s treat bag. They never noticed. I always took the same from each bag—kept things even.

In the spring, I cleaned and decluttered. I found my missing watch, wallet, and keys under the kids’ beds, wrapped in old candy wrappers. Now we’re even.

Patrick G. Roland is a writer and educator living with cystic fibrosis. He explores life’s experiences through storytelling, seeking to inspire others in the classroom and through writing. His work appears or is forthcoming in Hobart, Sacramento Literary Review, Maudlin House, and others.