Dad never went anywhere without that briefcase the whole visit. He carried it from room to room like it was part of the costume.
Mom served chicken, rice, beans, and the small cake she only made for special occasions because butter cost too much.
I had to cough into my hand to cover my laugh.
Dad ate like he hadn’t seen food in weeks.
Tiffany took a sip of water and asked, “Do you have sparkling?”
Leo said, “We have sink.”
Dad shot him a look. “Watch it.”
Leo stared right back. “I said sink.”
I had to cough into my hand to cover my laugh.
Later, Tiffany held up one of the bathroom towels.
Then Dad launched into stories about his investments.
Tiffany nodded along, but not as confidently as I expected. When Dad talked about a deal that was supposedly closing next month, she smiled, but her fingers tightened around her glass.
“Sounds like things are going well.”
Dad leaned back. “I do all right.”
Later, Tiffany held up one of the bathroom towels and said, “Do you have softer ones?”
That night, I found Mom in the kitchen wiping her eyes with a dish towel.
Mom said, “I washed those this morning.”
Tiffany looked at her face and hesitated. Instead she said, “I just have sensitive skin.”
That night, I found Mom in the kitchen wiping her eyes with a dish towel.
I said, “You don’t have to keep doing this.”
“It’s one weekend.”
“He brought his girlfriend.”
Leo was standing in the hallway. He heard all of it.
“I know.”
“He called her our bonus mom.”
At that, she looked away. “I know.”
Leo was standing in the hallway. He heard all of it.
About an hour later, Dad and Tiffany left to get drinks. Dad grabbed the briefcase first, then decided to leave it in the bedroom closet under a pile of blankets. I saw him slide a stack of envelopes deeper inside before he clicked it shut.
The second the front door closed, he stood up from the couch.
Leo saw that too.
The second the front door closed, he stood up from the couch.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“To look for my Switch.”
“It was on the TV stand.”
He shrugged. “Maybe Dad invested it.”
When he came out, his face was calm in a way that made me nervous.
I stared at him. “Leo.”
But he was already walking down the hall.
I followed him. He slipped into the bedroom and shut the door. For a few minutes I heard drawers opening. Then silence. Then a little metal clicking sound.
When he came out, his face was calm in a way that made me nervous.
“What did you do?”
Then they stepped into the bedroom and stopped.
He said, “You’ll see.”
Dad and Tiffany got back around 9:30.
They were laughing when they walked in.
Then they stepped into the bedroom and stopped.
Leo was standing in the middle of the room beside the bed.
Dad’s briefcase was open.
He reached into the briefcase and pulled out a receipt.
Dad’s whole body changed. “What are you doing?”
Tiffany snapped, “Get out. That’s private.”
Leo didn’t move.
He reached into the briefcase and pulled out a receipt.
His voice was almost gentle.
“You might want to explain this.”
I saw her eyes scan the top line.
Tiffany snatched it from his hand.
I saw her eyes scan the top line. Pawn shop name. Date. Item description.
Gold bracelet with sapphire clasp.
She made this awful sound in the back of her throat and grabbed the dresser to steady herself.
Dad lunged. “Give me that.”
She jerked away from him. “What is this?”
She stared at me holding them, then at Dad.
Mom came down the hall. “What’s happening?”
Leo reached into the briefcase again and handed me a stack of envelopes.
Credit card bills. Collection notices. Late fees. Final warnings.
All in Tiffany’s name.
She stared at me holding them, then at Dad.
“You said those were business cards,” she whispered.
Tiffany looked back at the receipt in absolute disbelief.
Dad forced a laugh. “Babe, not in front of the kids.”
She screamed, “Don’t call me that.”
Mom still hadn’t moved.
Tiffany looked back at the receipt in absolute disbelief. “My grandmother has been crying for two days.”
Dad said, “I was going to fix it.”
“With what?”
Then Tiffany found the plane confirmation tucked between the statements.
No answer.
Then Tiffany found the plane confirmation tucked between the statements.
Her face changed.
“You told me you were coming here because your ex couldn’t manage without your help.”
Silence.
“You told me you paid for this trip.”
Then she looked at Mom.
That was when something in Tiffany snapped.
Mom didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to.
Tiffany whispered, “She paid for you to come here?”
Dad started talking fast. “It’s complicated.”
That was when something in Tiffany snapped.
For one second she just stared at him. Then she laughed once, sharp and ugly, like she had finally seen the whole joke.
“Oh, you’re done.”