A strong entry in the 2018 Best American Short Stories

In his author's note, Jamel Brinkley, in the Best American Short Stories 2018, cites some of his key influences, most notably William Trevor and Edward Jones - and I couldn't think of any better pedigree. We can see the connections between their short fiction - fluid narratives that center on one character and follow him (usually a man) through a large portion of his life, and in the process illuminating aspects of a particular setting or milieu (with WT and EJ, respectively, rural Ireland and the black community in DC - pretty far apart, come to think of it) - and w/ Brinkley the setting is the black community in contemporary Brooklyn - though setting is not as important to him (this story could just as well take place in any other major American city) as is familial relationships. He examines the life of a man who in youth broke off from his best friend because a woman came between them, then did 12 years in prison after he'd hit and killed a pedestrian, now out he focuses his attention, in what at first seems a creepy way, on his best friend's son and on his mother (the woman who caused their friendship to break up), and over time they develop a loving relationship and the story ends on a dissonant but hopeful note. He hasn't, yet, attained the level of Jones or Trevor, in that they would most likely end the story with an air of mystery and disconnection, sorrow, or disappointment; the ending here feels a little too easy, but the story stands out as a strong portrayal of a troubled man who is trying to make amends.