Her eyes followed the movement. Then she smiled at Ruth.
“This has become a very emotional misunderstanding.”
Ruth placed a copy of the authorization on the table.
“Did Margaret sign this in your presence?”
“She asked me to help with the arrangements.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Vanessa looked at me.
“You wanted them to have the house.”
“Them?”
“Daniel and me.”
“I wanted to give my son a home filled with memories. You tried to sell it before I had finished giving it.”
“You can’t give someone something and control it forever.”
“No,” I said. “But I can decide whether to give it at all.”
Her smile vanished.
Daniel had been staring at the letter. Now he pushed it toward her.
“Tell the truth about the signature.”
She let out a breath through her nose.
“You knew we were selling.”
“Yes. I lied to my mother about that. I didn’t know you’d put her name on this.”
“Oh, now there’s a line.”
“There should have been one sooner.”
He said it quietly. She seemed to have prepared for shouting and found nothing to push against.
Ruth asked where the buyer’s money had gone.
Vanessa opened her folder and took out a page of expenses.
“I can account for it.”
“Accounting for spending it is not the same as having authority to receive it.”
Vanessa’s fingers flattened the page until its corners curled upward.
“The wedding was for both of us.”
Daniel nodded.
“I’m responsible for the bills I agreed to. I’ll cooperate with the buyer. I’m not responsible for pretending Mom signed something she didn’t.”
