I opened my laptop.
The first document I drafted was a divorce petition. I found a lawyer who could file it that same week.
« Family dinner. Just the four of us. »
The second was an itemized list. Embroidered pillows, forty dollars each, six of them. Deck railing, four hundred. Kitchen counter refinishing, eight hundred. Ceiling repainting, twelve hundred. Every line was documented with a photo and a receipt.
At the bottom I typed: Payment due within thirty days. Non-payment will result in small claims court proceedings.
I called Daniel’s mother and asked if she could take the kids Friday night.
« Of course, sweetheart. Everything okay? »
« Open them. »
« It will be. I’m making dinner Friday. »
I hung up and slid both envelopes into my purse.
****
I called a family dinner two days later. Daniel poured himself wine, relaxed and easy. Rose showed up tight-jawed and watchful, still trying to read whether her slip on the doorstep had registered.
