“So what?” Amy snapped.
“You’re really going to let your wife throw out your own sister? My lease ends next week.
Mark already told our landlord we were leaving.”
That was new.
Danny turned sharply.
“You ended your lease?”
Amy’s gaze slid to Helen.
Helen pressed her lips together.
I felt the temperature in the room change.
“When did you tell your landlord?” Danny asked.
Amy hugged her purse against her side.
“Mom said it was settled.”
Danny stared at his mother.
“Settled with whom?”
Helen’s shoulders squared.
“With the family.”
“No,” he said.
“With whom?”
She didn’t answer.
A hard knock struck the front door again.
Everyone froze.
This time, it was not Amy’s angry fist.
It was formal.
Measured.
Three knocks, evenly spaced.
Danny walked to the door and opened it.
Mr.
Callahan stood on the porch in a charcoal suit, holding a leather document envelope.
He was our attorney, though Helen had always called him “that paperwork man” because she hated anyone whose job involved facts.
Behind him stood the delivery driver from earlier, still in his company vest, and one of the crew members who had helped reload Amy’s boxes.
Helen stared at them as if they had entered from a nightmare.
“Good evening,” Mr.
Callahan said.
“Mrs.
Grant, Mr.
Grant.
I apologize for arriving during a family matter.
Danny called and asked me to witness a conversation regarding unauthorized residency and property access.”
Amy recoiled.
“Unauthorized residency? We’re family.”
Mr.
Callahan looked at her politely.
“Family does not create tenancy by surprise delivery.”
For one wild second, I almost laughed.
Helen did not.
“Get out,” she said to him.
“This is private.”
“Actually,” I said, “he’s here at my request now.”
Mr.
Callahan stepped inside only after I nodded.
The delivery driver remained near the threshold, uncomfortable but attentive.
Danny closed the door halfway, leaving it open enough that no one could later claim they had been trapped or threatened.
It was a small detail, but I noticed it.
I had been noticing everything since the truck first backed into my driveway.
Helen pointed at the delivery driver.
