Take the fifty thousand and sign the land release.

A Navy officer shouldn’t drag her own parents into a public courtroom.”

I pulled my hand out from under hers.

“The court hearing stands.”

My father stood up so fast his chair legs scraped loudly across the yellow linoleum.

He pulled his dark winter coat tight around his shoulders and shoved his arms into the sleeves.

“You always were stubborn to a fault,” he muttered.

My mother picked up her purse from the counter and moved toward the back door, her shoulders slumped.