“You’re certain?”

“I was at Saint Agnes Hospital that day.

Knee injections.

I have the papers in my purse.”

“Good.

Keep them.” Claire’s voice was calm, but the calm had weight behind it.

“There’s another issue.

A preliminary lien inquiry was attached by a lender.

It looks like someone may be trying to use the property as collateral.”

Evelyn closed her eyes.

Grant’s voice came back to her.

The filing has to clear before the bank reviews it.

“Claire,” Evelyn whispered, “what do I do?”

“First, stay outside if you can.

Second, I’m coming over.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I do.

And I’m bringing someone with me.”

Before Evelyn could ask who, the front door opened.

Thomas stepped onto the porch.

He had loosened his tie.

His hair was damp from running a hand through it.

He looked toward the driveway, saw Evelyn in the truck, and froze.

Behind him, Marissa appeared in the doorway.

Even from the truck, Evelyn could see her mouth moving.

Thomas came down the steps.

Evelyn ended the call and slipped the phone into her coat pocket.

When Thomas reached the driver’s window, she locked the doors again.

He heard the click.

“Mom,” he said, tapping the glass.

“Come inside.

You’re making this worse.”

Evelyn lowered the window only two inches.

“Worse for whom?”

His face tightened.

“The girls are upset.”

“No,” Evelyn said.

“The girls are watching.”

He looked back at the porch.

Marissa stood under the light, arms crossed.

Her family hovered behind her in the hall.

Thomas leaned closer.

“Please.

Let’s not do this in front of everyone.”

Evelyn lifted her phone and turned the screen toward him.

The forged signature glowed between them.

Thomas’s color drained.

That one change in his face broke what little hope she had been holding.

“You knew,” she said.

His eyes filled, but he did not deny it quickly enough.

“It wasn’t supposed to go this far.”

“What was it supposed to do?”

He stepped back from the truck and pressed both hands to the top of his head.

Rain darkened his shirt sleeves.

“We’re drowning, Mom.” His voice cracked.

“Grant said there was a way to structure the house so the bank would consider us stronger.

Just on paper.

Just enough to refinance the business debt and consolidate everything.

You were never going to lose anything.”

“My signature was forged.”

“I didn’t forge it.”

“But you knew.”

He closed his mouth.

The silence was answer enough.

Evelyn opened the truck door.

Thomas stepped back to avoid being struck.

She climbed down slowly, one knee protesting, one hand gripping Frank’s envelope.

“Mom,” he said, “Marissa thought—”

Evelyn turned on him so sharply he stopped.

“Do not tell me what Marissa thought.

Tell me what you did.”

He stared at the driveway.

Rain gathered at the end of his nose and fell.

“I let it happen,” he whispered.

There it was.

The truth, small and pitiful, standing between them in the rain.

Evelyn walked toward the porch.

Marissa met her at the top step wearing the expression she used at school conferences and neighborhood meetings, the one that said she was the only reasonable adult present.

“There you are,” Marissa said.

“Let’s not ruin Easter.”

Evelyn stopped one step below her.

“You already tried.”

Marissa’s eyes flicked