“He said he wrote you a check last week,” Darla said.

“He said he’d taken care of her dress and her cap and gown fees.”

My hand clenched around the phone until my knuckles ached.

“We’re handling it, Darla,” I said, keeping my voice as even as I could.

“Sadie has what she needs.”

“Rory told me his welding work was slow,” Darla said, her voice dry as dust.

“Then he told his brother he bought a new set of patio furniture for Tasha’s back deck.”

I held my breath and said nothing.