She hugged me, and I could feel the bones in her shoulders.
“Sweetheart,” I said before I could stop myself, “what happened to you?”
Her face tightened. “Can we go home first?”
I drove in silence because I knew if I started, I would not stop. The second we got inside the house, I turned to face her.
“No. You tell me now.”
She set down her bag very carefully. “Mom…”
“Did you marry him for money?”
Her eyes filled at once, which only confused me more.
“Answer me.”
She pulled out a chair and sat down like she had no strength left in her legs. Then she looked up at me and said, “I need you to sit too.”
“I’ll stand.”
