The three of you are so
full of life in the photo,
smiling widely. Such good teeth.

“Are you taking care of your teeth? ” my
father, your granddad, might ask
out of nowhere, his hand paused
mid-bourbon on the way to his mouth.

“Absolutely,” I’d tell him. Here’s
more evidence of how good a dad I was.

“Look at those smiles.”

I know photos lie, especially
this kind, a
posed portrait,
but you all seem so happy.
Excited to show the world
how happy you are.

Photos can sometimes
tell the truth, too.

And you are smiling so widely.

Were you hiding?
At least one of
you were.

I know that now.

Did I know that then?