I set down my mug.
I stood up.
Chloe moved over on the swing.
I walked to the top of the porch steps.
I looked down at my son.
“Because I wanted to know,” I said.
“Know what?”
“Whether you wanted me,” I said. “Or whether you just needed me.”
Daniel opened his mouth.
He closed it.
“I overheard you,” I said. “In July. Through your bedroom door. Renee said I lived there for free. She said you were covering everything.”
Renee looked at the ground.
“I waited for you to say something,” I said. “To tell her I picked up your children every day. That I cooked four nights a week. That I sold my house because you asked me to.”
I looked at my son.
“You said I know,” I said. “That’s all. I know.”
Daniel’s face went red.
“Two days later, I won eighty-nine million dollars,” I said. “And I thought about telling you. I thought about it every day. For three months.”
