Chapter 23: The Deed

My mother stood on our porch in last night's plum blouse with no coat on.

I opened the door in jeans and an undershirt.

"Nolan." She looked past me into the hall. "I rang for ten minutes."

"I heard."

"I need to speak to you. Alone."

"No," Lena said from the stairs.

She was dressed in her gray sweater and slacks, with her hair back in the knot.

She came down slowly and stood beside me, close enough that our arms touched.

My mother's eyes went to the place where they touched.

"I see," she said.

"You came for something, Joan," Lena said. "Say it."

My mother's chin lifted and then, with real effort, came down.

"I haven't slept. The bank called at seven. The priest hasn't returned my calls."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lena said.

"I came to ask you both to be reasonable." She wet her lips.

"The company needs a president, Nolan. Dale can't."

"People talk, but they'll forget if the family is seen together on Sunday."

"Mom."

"I made a mistake about Kendall."

"You made a mistake about Lena," I said.

She said nothing.

"You haven't said her name once since you got here."

My mother turned her head and looked at my wife.

It was the first time I had seen her look at Lena as a person and not as an obstacle.

"I was wrong about you," she said, very stiffly. "I'm sorry for what I said."

"Thank you," Lena said.

"Is that all?"

"For the first time, yes."

She held out her hand, palm up.

My mother stared at it, and then she opened her leather folder and took out the typed page with the three signatures.

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