“She makes those decisions based on the overall household balance.”

“April twelfth,” I said.

“She canceled her plane ticket forty-two days before she sent that text.”

“Derek needed his business school deposit cleared before the mid-spring deadline,” Arthur said, his fingers fidgeting with his watch chain.

“She felt that telling you early would cause unnecessary tension during your final command exams.”

“She never had any intention of coming here,” I said.

Arthur cleared his throat again and checked his watch for the second time in three minutes.