Her manicured nails caught the light from the fixture overhead.

“You’re back early,” Melissa said.

“My errands are done,” I said.

I laid the torn envelope on the corner of the wooden dining table.

I kept my hand resting flat on top of it.

Melissa sprayed another coat of polish onto the counter.

The fine mist drifted down over the stone.

She wiped it off in tight circles.