I placed the Cedar Grove brochure beside my plate.
Jennifer watched my hands as if she expected them to shake. Stuart watched my face, waiting for relief, gratitude, or defeat.
I gave him none of those things.
“You put down a deposit without asking me?” I said.
“It’s refundable,” he replied.
“That wasn’t my question.”
Jennifer reached for her water glass. “We wanted to make sure you had the option.”
“You’ve given me a great deal to think about.”
Stuart settled back in his chair. He had mistaken the sentence for progress. I knew it because his shoulders loosened, and he reached for another slice of pie.
That was the hardest part of the evening. He still expected me to feed him.
I asked what Cedar Grove cost. Jennifer named a monthly figure. Stuart said he could help me compare it with the expenses of keeping the house. They spoke gently now, as though the turkey had never struck my chest.
I listened. Every time Stuart said we, Jennifer glanced at him before looking back at me.
When they finally left, I carried the brochure into Robert’s study. On the back, someone had written an appointment time for the following Thursday.
It was an appointment they expected me to keep.
