Vanessa pushed her chair back.
“Listen to her. She makes me sound like a monster. I saved her from losing her home, and she took my help with a smile when she needed it. Why am I suddenly disposable?”
“I was going to tell you myself.”
She turned to me, eyes bright and hard.
“I gave her money, Mom. Last time, I took it. So how can you possibly say I haven’t changed?”
And I finally saw it. The problem was never simply the money. Years ago, Vanessa had used a family crisis to take what she wanted.
This time she had turned Laura’s crisis into leverage.
The problem was never simply the money.
“Laura,” I said, “exactly how much do you still owe her?”
“This is between me and Laura,” Vanessa said.
“No. You spent months making it about me, and Dori, and who gets a seat at this family’s table.” I didn’t look at her. “How much?”
