“She means well, Sar.”
“So does a toddler with a Sharpie.”
He laughed. Then he fixed his face. “I’ll talk to her.”
He didn’t. Not that week.
“I’ll talk to her.”
Then she moved on to the mail.
***
The electric bill went first. It sat open on the counter, folded back into its envelope with the neatness of a cover-up.
ELECTRIC SERVICE STATEMENT
Amount Due: $184.62
Your home used 31% more energy than similar homes nearby.
Diane stood beside it, wiping a counter that was already clean.
Then she moved on to the mail.
“Thirty-one percent more than your neighbors, Sarah.”
“You opened my electric bill.”
“It was open when I got here.”
“It has a sticker. And a little window.”
“Windows are for looking through, dear.”
“You ran the dryer on a Tuesday afternoon.”
“You opened my electric bill.”
“I work from home. It’s called laundry.”
“Well. Think of the neighbors.”
