Chương 4
“We can get a hotel.”
Melissa’s voice sharpened.
“For how long?”
“I don’t know.”
“Exactly.”
Jason looked exhausted rather than angry.
His hair was flattened on one side, and there was a dark stain on the sleeve of his sweatshirt that looked like coffee.
“We have the deposit money.”
“That’s for the new place.”
“I know what it’s for.”
“Then stop pretending it’s spare cash.”
I looked between them.
“What new place?”
Neither answered.
Daniel quietly stepped back toward the concierge desk, giving us a little distance without leaving.
Melissa’s eyes moved to the floor.
Jason sighed.
“We applied for a townhouse in Redmond.”
“When?”
“Two weeks ago.”
Melissa said, “It doesn’t matter.”
“It seems like it matters.”
“We haven’t been approved.”
Jason looked at her.
“We were approved.”
She went still.
I saw it before she could hide it.
Not surprise.
Fear.
Jason’s face changed too.
“You didn’t tell her?”
“Tell me what?”
Melissa rubbed both hands over her upper arms.
“Jason, not here.”
He stared at her for another second.
Then he looked toward the minivan.
Sophie was watching through the windshield.
“Fine,” he said.
He pushed the lobby door open and walked outside.
Melissa followed him immediately.
I stood there, unsure whether to go after them.
Daniel came closer.
“You should sit down.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re leaning on a planter.”
I looked at my left hand.
It was, in fact, gripping the edge of a large ceramic planter.
I let go.
“That’s humiliating.”
“Less humiliating than falling into the planter.”
I sat.
The chair was upholstered in some rough gray fabric designed to survive decades of strangers.
Daniel sat across from me but kept the folder on his lap.
“I can handle the truck,” he said.
“What happens?”
“They’ll be told they can’t unload here.”
“And if Melissa refuses?”
“Security will ask her to leave the property.”
“And if she still refuses?”
“Then we escalate.”
He did not define the word.
I was grateful.
Through the glass, Jason stood beside the minivan speaking to Melissa.
His hands moved when he talked.
Hers barely moved at all.
That was unusual.
Melissa was the kind of person who argued with her entire body.
“What did she mean about your mother handling things for you?” Daniel asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Does your mother have power of attorney?”
“No.”
“Any ownership interest?”
“No.”
“Did she contribute money to the purchase?”
“No.”
He nodded.
“Then that part is straightforward.”
“What part isn’t?”
“The family part.”
I gave him a tired look.
“Very insightful.”
“I manage condos.”
“So?”
“Ninety percent of this job is family members being surprised that property law does not reorganize itself around Thanksgiving.”
I laughed and immediately pressed a hand to my abdomen.
“That should be on your business card.”
“I’ve suggested it.”
The door opened again.
This time Jason came in alone.
He looked toward Daniel.
“Can I talk to Emily privately?”
Daniel looked at me.
I nodded.
He stood.
“I’ll be at the desk.”
Jason took the chair he had vacated.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Outside, Melissa opened the minivan’s sliding door and leaned inside.
I could see Ben climbing between seats.
“Why did you say you were approved for a townhouse?”
Jason rested his elbows on his knees.
“Because we were.”
“Then why are you moving here?”
His eyes stayed on the floor.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”
A knot formed behind my breastbone.
“You didn’t know?”
“I knew your mom offered us this place.”
“My mother cannot offer you this place.”
“I know that now.”
“You didn’t know that yesterday?”
He finally looked up.
“Melissa told me Patricia helped buy it.”
I said nothing.
“She said your mom put money toward the down payment and that the arrangement was you’d stay here while recovering, then Patricia would use it as a family place.”
“A family place.”
“That’s what she called it.”
Every word felt ridiculous.
That made them worse.
“My mother didn’t put one dollar into this condo.”
Jason rubbed his jaw.
“Okay.”
“I saved for the down payment for eight years.”
“I believe you.”
“I didn’t get help from Mom.”
“Emily, I believe you.”
My voice had risen enough that the concierge glanced over.
I lowered it.
“Then why did Melissa tell you that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did Mom tell you the same thing?”
“No.”
The answer came quickly.
“Have you talked to Mom about moving here?”
“Not directly.”
I stared at him.
“You were bringing your wife and four children to live in my home because Melissa said my mother had approved it, and you never spoke to either me or my mother?”
His face tightened.
“When you say it like that, it sounds pretty bad.”
“How else would I say it?”
He had no answer.
A child laughed outside.
I looked toward the minivan and saw Caleb pressing his face against the window while Ben tried to pull him backward.
Jason followed my gaze.
“I should’ve called you.”
“Yes.”
“I thought you knew.”
“You didn’t think it was weird that I never called you?”
“I thought you were recovering.”
“That is not an answer.”
“No.”
He sat back.
“You’re right.”
The words should have satisfied me.
Instead they made me angrier because they arrived so easily after the truck was already here.
“Why aren’t you moving into the townhouse?”
Jason looked toward Melissa through the glass.
“We were supposed to sign the lease yesterday.”
“But?”
“She canceled it.”
I felt my fingers tighten around the edge of the chair.
“Why?”
“She told the property manager we’d found a better option.”
“When did you find out?”
“This morning.”
“How?”
“I called him because I couldn’t find the email with the lease link.”
Jason gave a humorless little laugh.
“He said, ‘Your wife told us yesterday you were withdrawing.’”
Outside, Melissa turned and caught us looking at her.
Her face went completely still.
Jason lowered his voice.
“The townhouse was three bedrooms.”
“For six people?”
May you like
“It wasn’t perfect.”
“But it was approved.”
