Six Rooms at the Lake, But None for My Parents novel · Chapter 13 of 24

Chapter 13: Checkout Day

"I never asked you for a dollar," I said. "Or him."

"I know that now." Colin's father turned his cup a quarter turn on the table. "I knew it when you stood up on the beach. He sat there and let me think you were drowning."

"What did he say it was for?"

"Your bills. A bad quarter. He said you were too proud to ask us." He glanced at the ceiling, where his wife slept. "We took it out of the account we keep for the roof."

I could hear the refrigerator humming.

"Don't say anything to him yet," he said. "Not up here, not in front of her. I'll ask at the gate, when he's got nowhere to go."

I nodded, because I understood that he had been planning it since the beach.

At half past ten we stood in the gravel drive with every car packed and the east room stripped and clean.

Nate came down the porch steps with a folder under his arm.

"Checkout," he said. "Before anyone drives off, I'll go over the damage. Itemized, by name, so no one has to wonder."

Gail drew herself up.

"Is that really necessary, young man?"

"It's my aunt's house, ma'am."

He opened the folder and read from the first page in a flat, careful voice.

"Hydrangeas. Eleven plants pulled up by hand, replanting and replacement, three hundred and ten dollars. That was three kids on Thursday, from a family that left before seven."

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