They Excluded Me From the Family, So I Built a New One novel · Chapter 20 of 24

Chapter 20: The Spare Chairs

The red SUV was gone by the time the captain and I reached the bottom of the lane.

There were only tire marks in the gravel, and a paper coffee cup on the verge.

"She wanted a look," he said.

"At what?"

"At what she thought she'd have."

I picked up the cup and carried it back to the house.

Saturday came up bright and cold, with a wind off the water that rattled the apple leaves.

By eleven the table was laid.

The nephew had oiled the pine anyway, against orders, and the sister had covered it with four mismatched tablecloths pinned at the seams.

She had made two pans of cinnamon rolls, a quiche and a tray of blueberry muffins in the shape of nothing in particular.

Kenzie's fiancé and his parents arrived at half past eleven.

The mother carried a lemon cake, again, and said it was a different cake.

By noon, everybody was in their chairs but one.

I stood at the head of the table with the folder I had carried all week.

The attorney sat at my left.

She had worn her good gray coat and brought her own cup.

Libby sat on my right.

Past her was Kenzie, then the fiancé, then his father with his hands folded and his jaw set.

At twelve past, a car turned in at the mailbox.

It wasn't the red SUV.

It was a white rental sedan, new and clean.

Rosalie got out with a gift bag in her hand and her hair in a perfect twist.

She had changed her coat.

She waved at the table.

"Hello, everyone! I'm so sorry I'm late. The roads."

Nobody waved back.

She came up the lane in a pair of low heels, talking.

"I know this is awkward. I know we've all had a hard week. But I thought, we're family, aren't we? Kenzie's so sweet to invite me, and I just wanted to bring a little something..."

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