I have never in my life watched a room change so fast.

The cold contempt on my mother’s and sister’s faces evaporated in a single second and was replaced by a radiant, greedy delight.

My mother was suddenly warm, suddenly loving, already talking about renovating the top floor, building a luxury patio.

Brenda clapped her hands and started listing the things she wanted — a second truck, first-class flights to Hawaii, shopping sprees at the downtown mall.

Their whole attention swung toward me, or rather toward the money they thought was coming, like flowers turning to follow the sun.

And in all of it — in all their sudden joy at my supposed fortune — not once did either of them turn to look at my wife.