Chapter 2

The following afternoon, Daniel pulled his car to the curb.

"Mom wants us over," he said. "She knows you saw the chat. Don't come in with an attitude and make everyone uncomfortable."

I opened the front passenger door and found an uncapped lipstick on the dashboard.

I closed it again and got into the back seat.

Daniel frowned, but said nothing.

When we reached his parents' house, the front door was slightly open.

I heard Ashley speaking inside.

"Why did Mom insist on inviting *her*? We can never enjoy ourselves with Claire around."

"Remember when we were on vacation and she called Daniel crying that she was trapped by a hurricane?" Ashley continued. "As if he could do anything from another country. Vanessa was right there. Nobody wanted to deal with Claire's drama."

Vanessa's voice followed, amused.

"She was probably scared."

I dug my nails into my palms.

I remembered that storm. Flash flooding had trapped me beneath an overpass. Traffic was at a standstill. I called Daniel, frightened and alone.

"Find somewhere higher and wait," he'd snapped. "The entire city's dealing with this. You know I'm overseas. Stop bothering me with things I can't fix."

I'd heard a woman laughing in the background and thought she was a coworker.

Now I knew they'd been laughing at me together.

Daniel saw my expression.

"It's not what you think," he murmured, then pushed the door open.

Conversation stopped.

Margaret glanced at me. "You're here. Sit down."

Vanessa sat beside her at the head end of the dining table. The chair next to Vanessa was reserved for Daniel. The only other seat was at the corner beside the kitchen doorway.

Vanessa rose to take his coat as naturally as if she still lived there.

"You forgot to bring my lipstick inside," she scolded playfully.

Then I noticed the emerald pendant around her neck. I'd bought it for Margaret's birthday the previous year.

Vanessa caught me looking.

"Margaret said it didn't suit her complexion, so she gave it to me. You don't mind, do you, Claire?"

Three years after her divorce, Vanessa still called my mother-in-law "Mom." Nobody corrected her.

Margaret waved a hand. "We're all family. Claire isn't that petty."

Daniel sat beside Vanessa and gave me a warning look.

"Don't bring your mood into somebody else's home."

Ashley scoffed. "When doesn't she?"

Everyone looked at me as if I alone had spoiled the afternoon.

Then Ollie held up a drawing.

"Grandma! My teacher told us to draw our family."

On the page stood Margaret, Daniel's father, Ashley and her husband, then Daniel, Vanessa, and Ollie in the center.

No Claire.

Margaret beamed. "That's wonderful, sweetheart. All the family together."

Vanessa tilted her head. "Looks like you forgot Claire."

Ollie stared at his shoes.

"Dad said I should draw the people closest to me."

I looked at Daniel.

"When did I say that?" he demanded.

"When you helped me with it last week."

Daniel put down his fork. "Kids misremember things. Don't take it so seriously."

I sat down in the chair by the doorway.

"Sure. Not seriously."

On the drive home, Daniel was silent. Only when we entered the garage did he speak.

"I know today wasn't fair to you."

He reached into the glove compartment and handed me a velvet jewelry box.

"I was saving this for tonight."

Inside lay a pearl necklace. For a moment, something in my chest softened.

Then I saw the receipt tucked beneath the velvet lining.

Two necklaces purchased together.

Pearls: $950.

Diamonds: $12,000.

The diamond necklace was being shipped to Vanessa Reed.