“Your coat is homemade. Your backpack is weird. Your house smells like paint. Why don’t you have this brand?”
June nodded.
Not because she knew exactly.
Because shame had many accents.
Claire continued.
“When I started making money, I promised myself nothing in my house would look secondhand.”
“The quilt looked secondhand.”
“Yes.”
Claire’s face tightened.
“I saw it and reacted before I thought.”
June sat back.
“That explains it.”
Claire looked relieved.
“It doesn’t excuse it.”
The relief disappeared.
June continued.
“You knew I made it.”
“Yes.”
“You knew it was a gift.”
“Yes.”
“You still chose to embarrass me.”
Claire nodded.
“Yes.”
June appreciated that.
No defense.
Claire folded her hands.
“There’s more.”
Of course there was.
“I didn’t know Ethan had told you about the storage comment.”
“He didn’t.”
Claire looked down.
“I did.”
“You did.”
“I was angry.”
“At him?”
“At both of you.”
“Why me?”
Claire looked directly at her.
“Because he always forgives you.”
June frowned.
