Silence crashed down.
There it was.
Not confusion. Not miscommunication. Not a family misunderstanding.
A plan.
My mother took a step back as though Melissa’s words had physically pushed her.
Derek stared at his wife. “What does that mean?”
Melissa swallowed. For the first time, she looked afraid.
I spoke softly. “Yes, Melissa. What does that mean?”
Her eyes darted toward my mother, then toward the officers, then toward the neighbors watching shamelessly from the sidewalk now.
“It means,” she said slowly, “Amanda was supposed to realize this was better for everyone.”
Officer Grant folded her arms. “Better how?”
Melissa’s mouth twisted. “She’s single. She doesn’t have children. She works all the time. What does she need a house like this for? Derek and I want a family. His parents could help with childcare. Mom could visit. It made sense.”
My laugh came out hollow. “So I was supposed to surrender my home because your fantasy needed square footage.”
“You make everything sound ugly.”
