had done this and never said a word.
“Granny?”
I jumped. Walter was standing in the doorway in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes.
I turned the papers face down on my lap. “What are you doing up?”
“I had a dream. Are you okay?”
“I think I just figured something out.”
“About Aunt Lisa?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Something I should’ve seen a long time ago.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll explain when you’re older.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “That’s exactly what Aunt Lisa says when she doesn’t want to answer.”
I winced. “Please don’t compare me to your aunt today.”
After I’d tucked him back in and left the night-light on, I sat alone at the kitchen table with that envelope, and four years of Lisa’s behavior finally rearranged themselves into a shape that made sense.
The sudden interest in a nephew she’d barely called. The fight over guardianship three
