« Daniel said I could use it. »
I opened the door just enough to see her red face.
« Your key? »
« You know what I mean. The spare Daniel keeps. Why did you change the locks? »
I kept my voice light. « Termites in the frame. Marcus had to replace everything. »
« Well, put me on the new set. Daniel said I could use it. »
« Just, Daniel said. Never mind. »
The words landed like a slow snowfall, quiet, cold, covering everything.
I didn’t blink.
‘Once I agreed to sell.’
« You know what I mean. » Her eyes flicked. « Just, Daniel said. Never mind. Just get me a key. »
« I’ll talk to Daniel about it. »
Every line was documented with a photo and a receipt.
I closed the door gently. Then I sat down at the kitchen table and stared at the wood grain until the pattern stopped moving.
The party wasn’t a birthday. It was a demolition. My husband had handed my sister-in-law a set of keys and a schedule and pointed her at the only thing my mother had left me.
