“I was scared of your mother.”
“So was Emma.”
Denise lowered her head.
Then she handed me a small envelope.
“Your mother told us to delete our messages.”
Inside was a printed copy of the family group chat.
My mother had written:
Everyone says Emma fell.
Caleb replied:
What if she tells him about the keys?
My aunt replied:
Then we all say she was confused.
I felt something inside me finally go quiet.
There was no misunderstanding left.
No family disagreement.
No unfortunate dinner.
There had been a coordinated attempt to control the story before I even walked through the door.
I gave the envelope to my attorney.
Then I went back to the hospital.
Emma was asleep when I entered.
For the first time in days, her face looked peaceful.
