PART 2 — THE HOUSE ARTHUR HELPED ME BUILD
Evelyn arrived shortly after breakfast on Friday.
She carried a canvas grocery bag and two slices of pumpkin pie.
“I thought you’d need something sweet.”
I looked at the pie.
“It’s nine in the morning.”
“It’s Thanksgiving weekend.”
“That’s not an argument.”
“It’s an excellent argument.”
She placed the pie on the counter.
Evelyn and I had known each other for nearly forty years.
She had lived three streets away when Arthur and I raised Daniel. Our husbands worked together at a municipal equipment company.
We attended school functions, shared recipes, and occasionally argued over which of us made better cornbread.
After Arthur died, Evelyn was one of the few people who understood that I sometimes wanted company without wanting consolation.
She didn’t tell me to stay busy.
Didn’t explain grief.
She sat at my kitchen table and allowed the room to be quiet.
Now she looked at the itinerary.
Then the chore list. Then the budget.
“Margaret.”
I waited.
“They didn’t forget to invite you.”
“No.”
“They planned around you not going.”
“Yes.”
She picked up the itinerary. Three adult passengers.
Two children.
Seat assignments.
Hotel confirmation.
Paid activities.
All arranged in advance.
“How long have they known?”
“Weeks.” She placed the paper down.
“And nobody thought to tell you.”
“Apparently not.”
Evelyn studied me.
“You’re very calm.”
“I’ve spent the morning trying to decide whether I’m entitled to be angry.”
Her expression changed.
“You’re entitled to feel whatever you feel.” I looked toward the stove.
“That doesn’t tell me what I should do.”
“No.”
She pulled out a chair.
“Then tell me what you want.”
I thought.
Not revenge.
Not a public argument. Not an elaborate surprise when Daniel returned.
I wanted to know whether I still had a life that belonged to me.
“I want to leave,” I said.
Evelyn didn’t smile.
Didn’t congratulate me.
Didn’t tell me it was overdue.
She asked:
“For a few days?” “No.”
“For good?”
“I think so.”
She looked toward the blue folder.
“Then we need to be careful.”
I nodded.
Arthur would have said exactly the same thing.
My husband had spent thirty-eight years working for the city before retiring. He was practical, methodical, and mildly irritating about paperwork.
We owned a modest home in northern Arizona.
Nothing spectacular.
Three bedrooms.
A small garage.
A backyard where Arthur grew tomatoes that were usually eaten by birds.
We raised Daniel there.
Paid the mortgage. Replaced appliances when they failed.
Took one proper vacation every few years.
We were comfortable by the time Arthur retired.
Not wealthy.
Comfortable.
When he became ill, we used savings for home modifications and medical expenses.
He remained at home as long as he could.
I cared for him. Daniel visited.
Rebecca brought food.
The grandchildren drew pictures beside Arthur’s bed.
Our family wasn’t always easy, but it was loving.
Or so I believed.
After Arthur died, the house felt enormous.
Every room held something of his.
The chair where he read. His tools.
The desk.
The coffee mug with a chipped handle he refused to replace.
Daniel began suggesting that I move closer to him.
At first, I refused.