I don’t know if he meant to.
The front door stayed open behind him.
Cold air came in across the pot roast.
Nobody got up to close it for a long moment.
Then Brenda did, quietly, and came back and sat down in Kyle’s chair, and put her hand over mine.
She didn’t say anything about the bank.
She’d seen a thousand of these.
She just said, “Eat something, Nancy.”
I did.
Gene picked it up, looked at it, and set it back down face-up next to the gravy boat.
“That’s about four thousand dollars,” he said quietly.
“I know,” I said.
“I know exactly what everything costs now.”
The next morning, Gene called.
“Nance. The ramp’s done.”
“I know. I walked up it.”
“The kitchen’s done.”
“I saw.”
“I was going to wait till Christmas.”
“I don’t think I can anymore.”
“Can you come out Sunday? And bring Rachel and the babies?”
