Christmas Dinner
Prime rib.
Seafood casserole.
Homemade desserts.
Multiple glasses of wine.
Estimated value: $243.
Fourth of July Barbecue
Three burgers.
Two hot dogs.
Potato salad.
Nearly half the strawberry trifle.
Estimated value: $141.
The list continued for several pages.
Birthday dinners.
Sunday lunches.
Holiday parties.
Anniversary gatherings.
Every occasion at which Clarissa and her sisters had arrived with nothing and left carrying food.
At the end, I added the total:
Estimated Value of Hospitality Received Over Three Years: $2,486
Behind the invoice, I placed a copy of the restaurant receipt.
I highlighted my mother’s salad.
Then I circled the full $1,700 total.
Finally, I printed several family photographs and added captions beneath them.
Third serving of lasagna.
Packing leftovers before dessert ended.
Arrived empty-handed. Left with two containers.
I closed the folder, placed it beneath the food, and arranged everything so Clarissa would have to remove the documents in front of her guests.
Then I sent the box to her house.
