I went inside to fetch the heavy ceramic salad bowl at four o’clock, glad to leave the bright, pressing sun of the deck.
The kitchen was cooler than the deck, smelling of old copper pans hanging from the ceiling rack and the damp wood of the cabinets under the sink.
I opened the heavy door of the refrigerator, searching the bottom shelf for the vinaigrette bottle that had slipped behind the milk cartons.
A shadow fell over the light from the open fridge door, blocking the draft of cool air that was keeping my face comfortable.
Tyler stood in the narrow space between the kitchen island and the refrigerator, holding a long metal spatula from the outdoor grill. He tapped his college ring against the marble counter, a steady metal click that sounded like a fingernail on glass.
“Watch your step, Sis,” he said, blocking my exit with one broad shoulder. “The floor looks slick near the sink, and we know how you get.”
“I am just getting the dressing, Tyler,” I said, keeping my back straight against the cold edge of the refrigerator door.
“We wouldn’t want you taking another tumble,” he said, leaning closer until the spatula tip was an inch from my bare arm. “The family budget can only take so many of your little accidents.”
I flinched back, my elbow hitting the spice rack on the counter with a loud rattle of glass jars that seemed to fill the quiet room.
“Move, please,” I said, my voice barely louder than the hum of the freezer.
Tyler grinned, his college ring clicking once more against the wood of the island before he finally stepped aside.
“Just looking out for you,” he said, tossing the spatula into the stainless steel sink with a loud clang. “You know how Dad gets when you ruin the hardwood.”
“I did not ruin the hardwood,” I said, my hand trembling slightly as I gripped the glass salad bottle.
“That is not what the repair bill said three years ago,” Tyler said, walking toward the screen door with a slow, confident stride. “But keep telling yourself that.”
He let the screen door slam behind him, the wooden frame rattling against the jamb.
