Ten minutes later, Caroline came around the corner by the water fountain carrying a tall stack of empty cardboard gift trays.

“Tell Mom to quit saying those things to Helen,” I said, stepping into the middle of the narrow corridor.

Caroline set the cardboard trays down on the edge of a folding table and inspected her fingernails under the yellow wall light.

“Why would she?” Caroline said, her words quick and sharp.

“You cut off her nine-hundred-forty-dollar house payment out of pure spite, and now you want everybody to pretend you’re a good daughter.”

“I canceled the transfer because the money was going to stores instead of the utility bill,” I said.