Chapter 2 - Open ItLorraine reset the dining room for brunch as if Christmas morning had never happened.
White dishes.
Fresh flowers.
Silver napkin rings.
Handwritten place cards.
I saw the problem before Zia did.
HARPER.
NOAH.
MELISSA.
GREG.
TRAVIS.
HANNAH.
At the small table near the kitchen:
CHILDREN.
Zia’s name was nowhere.
Travis stood behind me.
His jaw tightened.
“Mom.”
Lorraine emerged carrying coffee.
“Yes?”
“Where does Zia sit?”
She barely looked.
“With the children.”
“Harper and Noah are children.”
“They asked to sit with us.”
“So did Zia.”
Lorraine shrugged.
“There isn’t room.”
There were two empty chairs at the main table.
Everyone could see them.
Zia came downstairs wearing a cream cardigan over yesterday’s gold dress.
She saw the place cards.
Then the small table.
Her face did not change.
That frightened me more than tears would have.
Lorraine smiled brightly.
“Good morning.”
Zia looked at her.
“Good morning.”
“Your seat is over there.”
Zia looked at Travis.
He did not move.
He simply said:
“Your choice, bug.”
My heart started beating faster.
Zia turned.
Walked toward the chair where her overnight bag hung.
Lorraine frowned.
“What is she doing?”
Zia reached inside.
Red velvet.
The entire room went quiet.
Melissa, Travis’s older sister, stopped pouring orange juice.
Her husband Greg glanced at Lorraine.
Even the children sensed something had changed.
Zia walked slowly toward the head of the table.
Lorraine laughed.
Nervously this time.
“What is that?”
Zia placed the box in front of her.
“Dad told me to give you this if you ignored me again.”
Lorraine’s smile vanished.
“What did you say?”
Zia took one step back.
Travis moved behind her.
Not touching.
Just there.
Lorraine looked at him.
“What is this nonsense?”
“Open it.”
“Travis.”
“Open it.”
Something in his voice made Melissa put down the pitcher.
Lorraine’s fingers closed around the lid.
She lifted it.
Inside lay a folded index card.
And a small metal key.
Lorraine stopped breathing.
Not metaphorically.
Her chest simply froze.
Her fingers began trembling.
The key struck the velvet.
Once.
Twice.
A fork dropped onto the marble floor.
Melissa whispered:
“Mom?”
Lorraine looked at Travis.
“What did you do?”
Travis’s voice stayed calm.
“Read the card.”
She unfolded it.
I could not see the words.
I saw her face.
Every bit of color disappeared.
“No.”
Travis did not answer.
Lorraine stood so violently her chair tipped backward.
“No!”
Zia flinched.
I immediately pulled her toward me.
Lorraine pointed the card at Travis.
“You had no right!”
Heavy pounding struck the front door.
Three hard knocks.
The room froze.
Lorraine looked toward the foyer.
Then back at Travis.
“What did you do?”
Another pounding.
“Lorraine Bennett?”
A man’s voice.
“Legal service.”
Melissa stood.
“Legal what?”
Lorraine backed away from the table.
“No.”
Travis looked at his mother.
“You should’ve treated her like family while you still had a house.”
Lorraine stared at him.
“You wouldn’t.”
The pounding came again.
Travis bent, picked up his mother’s fallen chair, and set it upright.
Then he looked toward Zia.
“None of this is because of you.”
She held my hand.
“What did I do?”
“Nothing.”
He squeezed her shoulder.
“This started before Christmas.”
Lorraine rushed toward the foyer.
“Do not open that door!”
Nobody touched it.
The process server announced himself again.
Then another voice.
A woman.
“Ms. Bennett, I’m counsel for Cedar Residence Trust. We need to speak with you regarding an emergency property order.”
Lorraine turned so slowly that everyone in the dining room saw the fear in her eyes.
Cedar Residence Trust.
I had never heard those words.
Melissa apparently had.
She whispered:
“Oh my God.”
I looked at Travis.
“What is Cedar Residence Trust?”
He looked toward the red box.
May you like
“The reason that key scared her.”
Continue to the next part: The papers at Lorraine’s door reveal that the Christmas house she calls hers has never legally belonged to her.
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