Her eyes fix on Allie. And then fill. She inhales and holds her breath and turns her gaze toward all of us. “Not many of you know, but my life crashed.” She presses her lips together. “Rick had been having an affair with someone at work. I suspected it, and confronted him, but, of course, he lied. When Pfizer shut down he kept disappearing. Some research-oriented job search through HR, he said. But that was a lie. Meanwhile, Rick wasn’t asked to move to Connecticut, and I haven’t been able to find another job. So two jobless people, two kids, two cars, a mortgage, a dog, and a cat.”

She glances at Laurie. “You never think it’ll be you.” She shakes her head. “You do everything right, work hard, but it can still happen. You guys are smart not to wait for disaster.”

“We don’t know what’ll happen next.”

“But you have each other. And you’re working together. I …” She stops and starts again. “I … Well. Rick left four weeks ago, left with that other woman who did move to Connecticut. He took his Pfizer packet with him. Left me what was left of mine.”

“Bastard,” Rosie says.

“Turned out he hadn’t been paying the mortgage since it ballooned. I tried to keep the house, but then, just before Thanksgiving, we had to leave.” Her eyes are shadowed. “It’s been hard. Fuck. It’s been hell.”

“Oh, Taylor,” Laurie says, “why didn’t you say something?” She shook her head. “I know. You want to take care of it yourself. You think you’re supposed to. Like somehow it’s your fault. My husband and I felt we just weren’t working hard enough for the longest time.”

“I couldn’t find a job and there wasn’t enough money to pay the bills and feed us. I was frying sardines and making a chicken last for three days. Peanut butter and beans were my refuge. My unemployment was up and the separation package all spent. Then …” She wraps her arms around herself.

“They foreclosed on the house. Just two weeks ago. Right before Thanksgiving. Rick must have known because he left two weeks before the final notice. I couldn’t believe it. But it happened and there was nothing I could do.” She pauses and closes her eyes. “No one would buy the house; besides, it’s worth less than the money I owed. I went to the courts to get help and to the bank, but things were too far gone by that point. Rick had kept how dire everything was secret from me.”

“Rick’ll have to pay eventually, you know,” Rosie says. “He’ll have to pay child support, spousal support, and arrears. He can’t get off scot-free. I know a lawyer who can help you.” She’s referring to her husband.

“Me, too,” Jeannie says. “We may be able to do something with the mortgage company.”