I walked back to Brenda’s house after noon, the soles of my shoes damp from the wet sidewalk. The front door was unlocked, and when I stepped into the kitchen, a sharp, metallic hiss met me.
An oversized chrome espresso machine sat on the counter, its digital display glowing blue. It looked entirely out of place next to the chipped laminate and the leaking sink.
Brenda was leaning against the refrigerator, holding a white ceramic mug I had never seen before. She was looking at her reflection in the shiny side of the toaster.
“Where did this come from, Brenda?” I asked.
“I bought it,” she said, her voice fast and loud as she turned around. “They have a rent-to-own program at the appliance store downtown. It is only fifteen dollars a week.”
“We have forty-two dollars in the joint account,” I said. “And the electric bill is past due.”
She took a sip of her coffee, her eyes moving to the empty dark oak table by the door. “We do not need to worry about bills anymore, mother.”
“What about the ticket I left there?” I asked.
