Chapter 13 - The Alibi in the Cast
Lily had fallen off a climbing frame in early November. She was frightened, and we spent the afternoon at urgent care getting her a purple cast.
Derek's new document claimed I'd sat in his office at 2:14 p.m. that day and signed an authorization. My medical visit summary showed I had checked Lily in before two and signed her discharge papers after four. A nurse remembered her because Lily had insisted on drawing a face on the cast for every member of the staff.
"That's useful," Maya said. "We'll request the records properly."
"They didn't even bother checking whether I was somewhere else."
"People who assume they can bully you don't usually plan for you to fight back."
At the next meeting, Dad brought a small envelope and kept checking the door. In it was the original closing folder I'd once given Mom, the one with the clean scan of my signature. A corner of the signature page was torn. The fake deed had the same tear visible in the background of its scanned signature block.
"Rachel used our printer," he said. "I found three practice pages in the trash."
"You kept those?"
He shook his head. "I should have. I didn't know what they were until now."
"You knew someone was doing something wrong."
"I know." His voice broke. "I keep thinking if I pretend a problem isn't there, it'll disappear."
"It doesn't disappear, Dad. It lands on me."
He nodded, and for once he didn't ask me to make him feel better.
Aunt June started spending Saturday mornings with us. She took Lily to the library, fixed the loose kitchen drawer, and listened when Lily wanted to talk about why Grandma hadn't liked the bracelet. June never told her to forgive anybody. She just said, "That must have hurt."
One evening I heard Lily tell her, "Mommy says I don't have to be nice to people who are mean."
June answered, "Your mommy is right."
The simple words lifted something heavy from my chest.
May you like
Then Maya called. Her voice was brisk.
"The judge scheduled the emergency hearing for tomorrow. Derek's lawyer is opposing every request. And Claire? Your mother has filed a sworn statement saying you approved the sale."
