He had never bothered learning how.
I drove to a hotel twenty minutes away, checked in, switched off my phone, and ordered a sandwich.
At 11:58 p.m., curiosity won.
I turned my phone back on.
Seven missed calls.
Three from Daniel.
Two from Claire.
Two from Margaret.
At exactly midnight, Daniel called again.
I answered.
“Emily,” he said immediately, “the heat stopped working. It’s freezing in here. Mom’s shaking. I’ve been trying the thermostat for an hour.”
I could hear Margaret complaining behind him.
“Can you come back and fix it?”
I looked around my warm hotel room.
Then I remembered him sitting silently while his mother told me I didn’t belong in my own home.
“No.”
“What?”
“Why should I fix a place I’m not welcome in?”
Then I ended the call.
