The notary block had a stamp so faint it looked like a bruise.

“So she took my house.”

“She took out a lien on your house,” Douglas said.

“And if the loan defaults, the lender can foreclose.”

For a moment I heard Lily’s voice from the day before, small and sure.

Daddy put brown envelopes in the closet.

“Is there any way to stop it?” I asked.

“I can file a lis pendens this afternoon,” Douglas said.