Abigail looked down, avoiding my eyes.
“Daughter, two years have passed and the house is small,” Abigail said softly. “Sheila needs space for the baby’s things.”
“And my things?” I asked.
My dad put out his cigarette on a plate.
“You didn’t need them anymore,” Lawrence called out. “We weren’t going to keep a museum for someone who was in jail.”
That phrase hurt me more than any night locked up.
“Where am I going to sleep then?” I asked.
My mom took out two twenty-dollar bills and left them on the table.
“Find a cheap hotel for a few days. You’re old enough, Summer,” Abigail said coldly.
I looked at Austin. He avoided my eyes.
“Do you think so too, Austin?” I asked.
For a second, he looked uncomfortable.
“You’re my sister,” Austin murmured. “Of course I want to help you.”
I felt a small relief. But Sheila quickly crossed her arms and glared at him.
“Austin, don’t start,” Sheila snapped. “This house is already in your name now. Your sister is thirty years old. She can’t just come here and act like nothing is wrong.”
Then I understood. They didn’t just want me to leave for a few days. They had already changed the name on the house deeds to erase me before I even arrived.