“Discipline for my children,” I said, “while your sister spent three hundred dollars on luxury camping gear in Mason City.”

Evelyn stopped twirling her lanyard and shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her linen shorts.

“You told me Evelyn paid for her own camping gear,” Ruth said, turning her head toward her daughter.

Evelyn looked down at her sandals and said nothing.

Mark took a deep breath, his chest swelling as he tried one more time to take control of the conversation.

“The hotel desk has a pending charge of four thousand eight hundred dollars sitting on the books right now,” Mark said, looking straight at me.