She unzipped her handbag with a sharp, metallic tug and pulled a long blue checkbook out of the bottom compartment.

“I have twenty thousand dollars in the emergency reserve account at the credit union,” Judy said, her voice trembling as she uncapped her ballpoint pen.

“I’m writing it to Nathan and Emily Schafer right now.”

She laid the checkbook flat on her knee, pressing down hard on the paper while her hand shook across the date line.

“Mom, put the pen down,” Nate said.

She didn’t stop writing.