Chloe sat quietly next to her brother, nudging her yellow corn kernels into a straight row with the flat side of her butter knife.

Daniel took a quick swallow of water and put the glass back down on his paper placemat.

“We’ll put in our backup offer on Willow Creek first thing Monday,” Daniel said, leaning forward over his plate.

“Corporate buyers fall out of escrow all the time when the county title search gets messy.”

I kept my hands folded in my lap beneath the edge of the tablecloth, my right palm resting flat across my collarbone, and smiled faintly down at my lap while Daniel went on about his bid.

Daniel laid a paper cone of yellow roses on the entry hall table and carried a heavy bottle with a gold seal straight through to the kitchen.