My mother looked down.
For the first time that morning, she didn’t have an answer.
Then Patrice exploded.
“This is ridiculous! We are not beggars!”
“No,” I said.
“You’re my family.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re treating us like strangers!”
I looked at her.
“That’s because you came here like guests who didn’t need an invitation.”
Silence.
Marcus cleared his throat.
“If everyone is finished, I do need to ask you to leave the private driveway.”
Kevin stared at me.
“You’re actually throwing us out.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You threw yourselves out when you decided my answer didn’t matter.”
That ended the argument.
They packed their bags back into the cars.
Madison came over before she left.
She hugged me.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Ellie.”
I hugged her tightly.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for.”
Tyler stood awkwardly beside her.
June held up her stuffed rabbit.
