Why This Room

On Tuesday, Frank did not put the chairs in a half circle. He put them in two rows, facing the window, like the wooden desks in the photograph. Then he sat at the front, on the edge of the table, without his red pen.

He put the small black-and-white photo on the table where everyone could see it.

"I promised," he said. "So. The boy in the second row, with the ears."

"It's you," said Marco.

"It's me. I was thirteen. Let me explain."