Iris Held On to Her Paid-Off Title When Her Father Threatened to Call the Police

I picked up a yellow highlighter and capped it.

“The car is paid off, Mom.

There is no combined filing.”

“Arthur says there is,” Eleanor said, her voice dropping to a delicate whisper.

“He spent two hours on the phone with the clerk in Portland trying to make things simpler for us.”

I didn’t answer her.

I watched a sunbeam slide across the corner of my laptop keyboard.

“He just wants what’s best for the family,” Eleanor added quietly.