“…everything, Dad, she sold everything. Our whole house, she sold all of it. Says she did it for charity. Totally crawling up the butts of everybody in town. Probably because she wants the town not to think she’s a complete whackjob. But she did it selling our whole house for some freaking junior boxing league. Like she gives a crap about junior boxing. She doesn’t give a crap about anything, and obviously not our home because she got rid of everything.”

He jumped when he caught my movement in his peripheral vision as I leaned forward and grabbed his door handle.

His eyes came to me, his face paled and went slack, and I held his gaze, mine watery, as I closed his door.

I went directly to my room and closed mine.

Then I went right to my fabulous daybed that sat on its thick pebbled rug by my gorgeous freestanding fireplace and I sat on it, back to the side, knees to my chest, arms around my calves, eyes across the room to the sun setting on the sea.

My children hated me.

They hated me.

It took everything I had, absolutely everything, but when I burst out crying, I did it silently.

* * * * *

The next morning, I woke up to dirty dishes.

I made coffee, cleaned them, poured a cup of java, then went back to my room, showered and got ready to face the day.

I came out and went down the opposite hall.

I knocked loudly on Pippa’s door, didn’t open it and called through it, “I need you up, Olympia. In the kitchen. I want a word. Now.”

I walked down and did the same with Auden.

I went to the kitchen, prepared a travel mug and waited.

Sleepy, in their pajamas, looking cute and young and beautiful, my children came out and positioned themselves cautiously opposite the bar to me.

Neither of them met my eyes.

In their words, “whatever.”

“As it’s doubtful you wish to go to the auction with Josie and me, and I need to leave imminently, I’ll be doing that. Since I won’t be home, and you’ve made it clear neither of you wish to be here, there’s no reason for you to remain here while I’m gone. You may go home to your dad’s.”

Both their eyes widened and Pippa looked to Auden but Auden turned his wary gaze to me.