Four years earlier, Rosalind had needed a procedure.
Insurance covered most of it.
But there had been a specialist fee.
A hospital deposit.
Post-operative medication.
A rental recliner.
A home nurse for three days.
Brandon had asked me to put everything on my card.
He said.
“I’ll reimburse you when my bonus hits.”
He never did.
I pulled out the receipts.
“Your surgery.”
“Three thousand eight hundred and forty dollars.”
Rosalind stared.
“That cannot be right.”
I showed her.
“Hospital deposit.”
“Seven hundred.”
“Medication.”
“Two hundred sixteen.”
“Home nurse.”
“Nine hundred.”
“Recliner rental.”
“Four hundred twenty.”
“Specialist fee.”
“Everything else is here.”
Brandon stepped toward me.
“Gwen.”
“Stop.”
I looked at him.
“You wanted everyone to see what kind of daughter-in-law I am.”
“Let them.”
His face tightened.
I continued.
“Christmas three years ago.”
“Dinner for twenty-four.”
“Gifts from Brandon and me.”
“Hotel for your aunt.”
“Decorations.”
“One thousand nine hundred and twelve dollars.”
Aunt Lorraine frowned.
“You paid for my hotel?”
I looked at her.
“Yes.”
She turned to Brandon.
“You told me you did.”
Brandon said nothing.
That was the first crack.
Then another.
Heather’s baby shower.
“One thousand four hundred eighty-seven.”
Heather blinked.
“What?”
“Venue deposit.”
“Dessert table.”
“Flowers.”
“Photography.”
“You told me Mom paid for the flowers.”
Rosalind looked offended.
“I thought Gwen handled it.”
“I did.”
I turned another page.
“Your father’s retirement dinner.”
“Eight hundred sixty.”
“Rosalind’s sixty-fifth birthday.”
“One thousand two hundred.”
“Family beach house deposit.”
“Nine hundred.”
“Christmas cabin.”
“Two thousand one hundred.”
“Rosalind and Frank’s anniversary suite.”
“Six hundred seventy.”
The room was silent now.
Nobody looked at the ramen anymore.
They were looking at Brandon.
