We don’t want people assuming Brandon can’t afford nice clothes for his own wife.”

From the phone screen, Heather let out a sharp little giggle, enjoying it.

I said nothing.

I had learned, across eight years, that saying something only extended these moments, and that silence was the fastest exit.

But as I turned to go, Rosalind followed me out onto the porch to deliver one final line, the way she always did — the parting shot was her signature.

“An intelligent woman always protects the family reputation,” she said.