I woke up to seventeen missed calls.
Then a Facebook notification.
Marlene had posted what appeared to be a legal brief about the Fourth of July.
According to her version—
I had invited innocent children to Willowcrest Farm.
Refused to feed them.
Humiliated the family.
Destroyed the holiday.
Turned Ethan against his mother.
Her post ended with something like:
Some people are simply COLD. Family means nothing to them.
And several angry emojis.
At first, I wanted to respond emotionally.
Then I remembered something.
I am extremely organized.
And I photograph everything.
MARLENE FORGOT ABOUT MY PHOTO ALBUM
Over four years, I had taken hundreds of photographs from family gatherings.
Memorial Day.
Birthdays.
Summer cookouts.
Christmas brunches.
Tables overflowing with food.
Sarah eating ribs.
Kate carrying three desserts toward her plate.
Children holding ice cream.
Marlene smiling beside giant trays of barbecue.
There was also one consistent detail.
Nobody else ever brought anything.
