Chapter 4: Her Mother's Name

I photographed the label three times with my hands shaking.

Then I wrapped the bottle back in the towel and pushed it into the bottom of the pocket exactly the way I'd found it.

"Car," Torin said from the door. "Your mom."

I zipped the pocket and walked into the kitchen as her car pulled in.

She came in smelling like massage oil, pushing her sunglasses up into her hair.

"I fell asleep on the table," she said, laughing. "The girl had to wake me up. Isn't that awful?"

"How long have you been sleeping like that, Mom?"

She thought about it.

"Since spring? Dwight says it's menopause. He's so good about it. He brings me tea every night."

My stomach turned over.

"Let's go to lunch," I said. "Just us."

We went to the café on the corner by the golf course where she used to take me for grilled cheese after swim meets.

She ordered a salad and a glass of white wine.

When the check came, she handed the waiter her debit card.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It was declined."

My mom laughed and fumbled in her purse.

"Oh, it's that bank. Dwight moved everything. Try this one."

That one was declined too.

I paid.

In the car, I held out my hand.

"Show me your banking app."

"Laine, don't be dramatic."

"Mom. Please."

She gave me her phone with a little sigh, the way she used to hand me the remote.

Her retirement account from twenty-two years at the school district office was there.

The balance was eleven dollars.

Her checking account had two hundred and six.

"That can't be right," she said, leaning over. Then she shook her head.

"No, he moved it into something with better returns. He told me. He handles all that."

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