He did not raise his eyes. He cleared his throat, a soft, trailing sound that never turned into a full sentence.
“Can we discuss this later, Nora?” he murmured, his voice barely rising above the hum of the refrigerator. “I have to get to the school before the first bell rings.”
“We need to discuss it now,” I said. “Tell your mother who pays the bills in this house.”
Diane watched him, her arms still crossed tightly. She had a look of absolute certainty on her face, the kind of look that only comes from years of quiet agreements made behind closed doors.
Eric took a step backward toward the hallway, his fingers tapping the side of his phone with a rapid, nervous rhythm that always signaled his desire to flee.
“Nora, please,” he said, his voice dropping into that familiar, placating tone he used whenever the room became tense. “Don’t do this.”
“Do what, Eric?” I asked. “Ask my husband to state a simple financial fact?”
He glanced at his mother, then quickly looked down at his screen again, his thumb flicking upward to scroll through another page.
“My mother is only looking out for Melissa,” he muttered, his voice trailing off as he reached for the doorknob. “We all have to make adjustments.”
“Adjustments do not include giving away the house I pay for,” I said.
He did not look at the yellow legal pad on the counter. He did not look at me.
“I have to go,” he said, turning back toward the hallway.
He turned toward the hall, his rubber-soled shoes squeaking on the hardwood. I followed him out of the kitchen, leaving Diane alone with the yellow legal pad and her green notepad.
In the narrow hallway near the coat closet, the scent of damp oak leaves clung to his wool jacket. I reached into my cardigan pocket and pulled out the spare brass house key I had found under the rug on the back porch earlier.
“Why are you staying silent?” I asked, holding the brass key between us. “You know exactly what my salary covers.”
He reached for his light jacket on the wooden peg, his eyes darting to the floor, then to the brass key, then back to his phone.
