There were three missed calls from an unfamiliar number and one voicemail from Barbara, my realtor. He played it on speaker.
“Patrick, this is Barbara Ellis. I know you’ve been trying to reach your mother. I’m not able to discuss the details of her transaction with you, but your boxes are at Lakeside Storage, Unit 214. The access code is in the envelope attached to the unit agreement. Your mother paid the first month and arranged for the items to be released to you. I hope you’ll respect the new owners’ privacy.”
The message ended.
Megan folded the note and placed it back inside the envelope.
“She paid for storage?”
“Yes.”
“After selling the house out from under us?”
Patrick finally looked at her.
“Don’t say it like that.”
“How should I say it?”
He glanced toward the car, where their daughter had pressed her forehead to the window. Their son was holding a plastic cruise ship from the gift shop. Both children were watching their parents carefully.
Patrick lowered his voice.
“We need to talk somewhere else.”
They drove to a nearby hotel, where they had reserved two rooms for the night before returning home. The cruise had ended in Miami that morning, and the long drive north had been filled with small frustrations—delayed baggage, a missing pair of sunglasses, a disagreement over whether to stop for lunch.
None of it had seemed important.
Now, every mile between the port and the lake house felt like a warning they had failed to hear.
In the hotel room, Megan placed the envelope on the desk.
“She planned this while we were gone.”
Patrick sat at the edge of the bed.
“She planned it before we left.”
“You mean before she knew about the cruise?”
“She knew about the cruise.”
“She knew she wasn’t invited.”
He rubbed both hands over his face.
“We invited her not to come.”
Megan’s expression tightened.
“That’s not what happened.”
Patrick looked up.
“What happened, then?”
“You said it would be easier if it were just my parents and us.”
“I said the children should have time with your parents. I didn’t say she couldn’t come.”
“You paid for the cabin.”
“She paid for her own cabin.”
“You upgraded our package.”
“I wanted everyone to have a good time.”
