Chapter 90

After lunch, my dad went upstairs to watch football, my mom went to her bedroom to call her mother, my Grandma Shirley, and Elliott and I set about loading the dishwasher. I wondered if my parents had conveniently left us alone or if he had designed that. I was glad to have the opportunity to follow up on a few topics my parents had touched on during the meal. Though they were careful not to talk about anything in front of me I wasn’t supposed to know, they’d asked how Cadence was doing, and I had more questions about that particular subject than I could ask in front of them.

Elliott was rinsing, and I was loading. I took a bowl from him and slid it into a slot. “So, where does Cadence live exactly?” I asked, reaching out for a handful of silverware.

“We live in an apartment building,” he replied, handing me a glass, which I dropped into the top rack. “She lives in the penthouse.”

I stood up straight and looked at