“Damn it!” I said, throwing the keys to the floor. I kicked the cabinet, walked away, and then returned to land another kick, this time denting the bottom.

Limping across the floor, I picked up the keys and tossed them into the desk drawer. I was done.

I walked down the hall with my hand still pressed against my throbbing hip and stopped at the top of the stairs. Cynthia’s voice was weary as she spoke on the phone. Idling for a moment before taking the first stair, I heard her speak my name.

“Nina’s fine. She’s upstairs, resting. What do you expect me to do? Forbid her to...? Honestly, you worry too much! She just didn’t want to be alone tonight. I heard some commotion upstairs; I assumed she knocked something over. It mustn’t have been as bad as…,” she sighed, “yes. I’ll check on her. Goodnight.”

Cynthia turned to look up at me. I sheepishly waved, cursing under my breath for getting caught eavesdropping.

“Are you all right, Dear?” she called.

“I’m fine. Ran into a desk; bumped my side. Who was that?”

She shrugged. “Was it really necessary to yell out such profanities while I’m on the phone? My friends were under the impression that I had raised a lady.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was being so loud.”

Cynthia nodded dismissively. “I’ve got a beautiful ham in the oven. You’ll be staying for dinner, won’t you?”

“Er…yes. I was going to stop by the hospital, but it can wait.”

Cynthia made her way up the stairs. I followed into her study where she set some unopened envelopes on her desk.

“How is your friend doing?” she asked, I assumed just to be polite.

“I’m not sure, I haven’t been back since this morning, but no one’s called to tell me otherwise. I’m sure there’s been improvement.”

“Wonderful news, Dear,” she said, preoccupied.

She pulled her pearl drop earrings from her ears, and placed them on the silver tray that sat on a small table near the wall. My eyes wandered to a hutch that matched her table and desk. The fronds of a plant obscured the top cabinet, and I zeroed in on a small silver circle on the top right corner.

“Coming, Nina?” Cynthia asked, pausing at the door.

“I’ll be down in a minute. I wanted to check my e-mail, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” she smiled. “Don’t be late for dinner.”

I watched her walk out the door and waited as she descended the stairs. Once she was deeper into the lower level, I sprinted down the hall to my father’s office. Yanking open his desk drawer, I grabbed the small silver ring of keys.