People are talking.

You need to fix this before it ruins your late wife’s memory.’

A fourth message arrived from Carol Miller, who had organized community events alongside Evelyn for ten years.

‘Robert, I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

How could you do this to your own family after everything Evelyn gave up?’

I put the phone back down on the wood, face down.

The little room felt colder and emptier than it had when I’d moved in three days earlier.