Chapter 13: The Bay Behind the Tire Shop

I didn't go home.

My apartment over the dry cleaner had a lock my mother had a key to.

I drove across town with the windows down instead.

I ran out of road at the rented bay behind the tire place.

Dad's light was on.

Since he'd sold the machine shop, he had spent his days here fixing lawnmowers for people on our street.

He never charged more than the cost of the parts.

He was bent over a push mower with a socket wrench when I came in, and he didn't look up.

"There's coffee," he said. "It's bad."

"Dad."

"Your mother texted me at eleven minutes past nine. She said, 'Jo knows. Go easy.'"

He set the wrench down.

"So I'm guessing there's something I'm supposed to be going easy about."

I had planned to say it in order, with dates.

What came out was, "Mom bought Dennis's mortgage. Through Caleb. She's been planning it for two years."

Dad sat down on an upturned bucket.

It took him a long time to say anything.

I told him the rest, from Caleb's father to the text on the phone.

He listened with his big scarred hands hanging between his knees.

"And Mom let you give Grandma the money," I said.

"She knew what Grandma was like and she let you."

"She didn't know I'd do that."

"She knew you'd say yes to something. She was ready for it. Caleb said she told him family money would go first."

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